George W. King

Welcome to Favorite Family Photo Week here at OPOD. We kick things off with this picture of George W. King. Once again, the Evil Nate Maas sets the bar for any competition. This is a great photograph, as the guy is showing off his Colt revolver. Nate also included some amazing background on this ancestor, which I include below.

Captain George King, my third great-grandfather, was living in Gibson County, Tennessee, when the Civil War broke out.  He rode down to Mississippi to join up with the Confederate Army where it was determined that there weren't enough men back home to maintain order, so He was appointed by Gen. Forrest to be the law in Gibson and the surrounding counties.

Returning home, he put together a company of about 40 men known as King's Scouts.  As so many men were away with the army, the area was beset with thieves, raiders, and Yankees.  Captain King kept the law, but discovered without a regular judge that many times the criminals would escape from jail before trial.  As the war progressed, there were times when he was required to assume the role of lawman, judge, jury, and executioner, all in one person.  Naturally, this earned him the animosity of the relatives of horse thieves and their ilk, so in his own words, “I would sleep about eight yards from the house in an old wheat bed with four revolvers and two double barrel shot guns for my protection.  Many a time I would go home in the night by myself.  When I came within one-half mile of home, I would put spurs to my horse and go half speed with my pistol in my hand, expecting a thief to shoot me every minute from the bushes."

As he was also the lawman for neighboring counties, he later wrote of his activities in Dyer County, "After I had driven out all the desperadoes, thieves, pick pockets and murderers out of Dyer County – anytime I went to that place the citizens would give my men a ball if they wanted one... Everywhere we went the boys could get up a ball.  Because the Company had formed such a marvelous character the ladies were not afraid of them like the others...I went to Dyer County several times after I relived them of such a heavy burden...I was treated as well as a preacher everywhere I went."

The war ended and he was eventually given a parole as a Confederate on May 27, 1865.  However, years later in 1878, he was eventually ambushed and killed (most likely by relatives of one of the wartime criminals).

Mystery Person

Mystery Person Contest has Begun!

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A Denooyer Performance Division-tuned HTR-525 LS3 Camaro SS. The stock V-8 is swapped for a 480 horsepower 376 c.i. LS3 engine from GM Performance Parts, which is then tweaked up to 525 horsepower.

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Please meet these former Miss California contestants

For complicated and boring reasons, I recently had the occasion to come across the Miss California website which features all of last year's contestants and all I have to say is wow. I think my favorite thing about it is that it appears that the contestants have made a concerted effort to look like the area they're representing. You know how like on Miss Universe they're always wearing their colorful native garb? Same thing.

They're also from very very specific geographic areas! Like, this is Charlotte Giustiniani, from "North Brentwood." Not Brentwood, mind you, but NORTH Brentwood:

WHOA, BRITTANY HIGH FROM LARCHMONT VILLAGE,I just got arrested for looking at your picture. Did someone offer you candy or something to come down to their basement for your photo shoot?



I gotta be careful because you know these chicks are all Googling themselves 24/7 and I don't want them to find my blog and then go "Oh, what a fucking asshole," even though I'm totally used to that.

Just a couple more, though, cause this is totally fun.

Erika Robertson is from "Honey Bee Haven," which sounds like a syndicated children's TV show. She's got a real Black Swan thing going on:



OK, now you guess one. Where's Holly Doll from, you think?



Got your guess? Ready? She's Miss East Sacramento! I know, right?

I got one more, and she's my fave. Please meet Jael Lloyd, Miss Glendale:



The headband! The peace sign tattoo! We will get high and listen to Ariel Pink on vinyl and drink homemade sangria and just have a blast. Miss Glendale doesn't care. She's down for anything.

Have a nice weekend.

Maude Adams

OK, we had some great fun yesterday at the expense of the Samsung Technical Support desk, but today we are back to Actress Week. Oh, and RTD, I was not lying to the person, I do have a Masters degree in Electrical Engineering from Stanford, and I did work on developing Nuclear Weapons for 20 years, so that was not a fib. So, the picture above is of Maude Adams. She was a famous actress of Stage and Screen in the early 1900's, and she came to fame in her portrayal of Peter Pan.

And remember, keep submitting your favorite old family photos. We are going to try and feature YOUR pictures next week.

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Crime Report

Whoa, there is a lot of weirdness in the past 24 to 36 hours. Let's start off with Alex Trebek:

Alex Trebek, host of the television game show "Jeopardy," was injured early Tuesday as he chased a burglar in his San Francisco hotel.

The longtime game show host appeared on crutches Wednesday to host the National Geographic World Championship at Google Inc.'s Mountain View headquarters.

"It happened at 2:30 a.m., chasing a burglar down the hallway of my San Francisco hotel, when my Achilles tendon ruptured and I then fell on carpet, bruising the other leg in process. Surgery on Friday," Trebek said, according to Patch.com. A spokeswoman at the Marriott Marquis confirmed the incident took place at that hotel.

San Francisco police officials confirmed a burglary at a San Francisco hotel early Tuesday, but would not identify Trebek, 71, as the victim. Lt. Troy Dangerfield said two people were asleep in a hotel room when "around 3 a.m., one of the victims awoke to notice someone in the room and then noticed the suspect leaving the hotel room."

Hmmmm. Does anything about this sound perhaps maybe somewhat suspicious to you? I mean, how does some rando chick get into a hotel room in the middle of the night? I dfon't know about you, but I always use every goddam locking mechanism they have on the doors, and there's always one that keeps the door from being opened from the outside, like a chain or that weird U-lock thing that flips over the knob thing fuck I don't know what it's called but you know what I'm talking about.

Now, I don't want to engage in rank speculation, but I just want to say that it's possible - possible - that Alex and his +1 met the suspect, "Lucinda Moyers," at the View Lounge and closed that place and then maybe suggested they blow a couple of rails back in Alex's room and everyone was having a good time when Alex went to the bathroom and the +1 was otherwise engaged and Lucinda thought she'd make a break for it and grabbed his wallet and took off and Alex came out and was all "WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT BITCH DOING" and took off down the hall and ruptured his Achilles. PROBABLY NOT, but I'm just saying it's possible.

I also love the pic that SFGate went with:

No flash photography! I'm doing key bumps over here! Aaaahhhhh! Bright light!

Let us now turn to the world of Aviation. Regular readers of this space are well-aware of my sometime troubles with Air Travel. I tried communicating with the airline, but by then the troubles have long passed and I'm not that mad anymore. Brothers "Jonathan and Luis Baez, both of Las Piedras, Puerto Rico," have a way of more directly and immediately communicating their dissatisfaction with their carrier: punch out the fucking pilot!!!!

A man punched an American Airlines pilot who kicked him off a flight from Miami, and he and his brother then attacked the pilot again before bystanders tackled the brothers in the terminal, officials said Thursday.

Jonathan and Luis Baez, both of Las Piedras, Puerto Rico, were arrested at Miami International Airport. They had been aboard American Airlines Flight 1755 bound for San Francisco on Wednesday night, according to an arrest affidavit.

While the plane taxied away from the gate, a flight attendant noticed 27-year-old Jonathan Baez was sleeping and had not buckled his seat belt, police said. She tried to wake him, but she told police that Baez was unresponsive and appeared to be intoxicated or on drugs.

The pilot turned the plane around and returned to gate D51.

Luis Baez, 29, decided to join his brother as he was being escorted off the plane. As the brothers walked toward the aircraft's exit door, they became belligerent, and Luis Baez told the pilot, "When you fly to San Juan I will have you killed," according to the arrest report.

The brothers walked off the plane, but then Jonathan Baez returned and punched the pilot in the face and hit the flight attendant in the shoulder when she tried to intervene, police said.

Both brothers attacked the pilot again in the jet bridge and chased him in the terminal, according to the arrest report.

Other flight crew members and passengers held down the brothers until police arrived.

The only appropriate sentence in a case like this: middle seats between two fat guys with colds for life.

Finally, let us turn to a crime that is shocking in the extreme because it occurred at a place where so many of us feel safe: the Lagunitas Brewing Company in Petaluma. Some Guy from Tiburon and his girlfriend were taking the tour and whatnot when they ran into some Stranger Danger:

Officers arrested a man who was taking a tour of a brewery in Petaluma Tuesday evening after he allegedly robbed another tour member at knifepoint, police said.

Ben Davis, 26, of Windsor allegedly befriended the victim, a 24-year-old Tiburon man, and his girlfriend while taking a tour of the Lagunitas Brewing Company brewery.

Police said Davis confronted the victim with a knife in a restroom during the tour and demanded his wallet.

Davis allegedly took the wallet, left the brewery and drove away. Officers responded to the brewery around 5:20 p.m. and learned that the victim's girlfriend had taken a picture of Davis before the alleged robbery.

Now, I'm no Criminal Mastermind or anything, but I feel like once my victim photographs me, I'm either (a) calling off the Planned Bathroom Knife Robbery, or (b) taking the fucking camera too.

Anyway, Ben Davis of Windsor, way to harsh Tiburon Man's mellow.

Be careful out there, folks.

Samsung HMX-H300 Camcorder

NEWS BULLETIN! We interrupt Famous Actress Week here at OPOD to bring you this picture of a Movie Camera from 1920. The thing is, I bet this camera actually worked, as compared to some of the junk they are building today. For example, the Samsung HMX-H300, which I just purchased from Amazon.

I have some exciting events coming up in the next few weeks, so I ordered the camera. It arrived yesterday, and I was very excited to take it out of the box. I plugged it into the computer to charge it  up, but the battery would not charge, and after some time the camera just shuts down, and  then locks up. Once it locks up there is no way to turn it on. I found that if you took the battery out for a few minutes and then put it back in, it would reset. But, if I then try to charge the battery again, the camera locks up again. Well, I decide to call Samsung, and get a recording that I need to call back during normal business hours. I then try their "live chat" button on their support WEB site. I get a message that they are overwhelmed with requests for help right now and will not be able to chat with me. I try the chat line a few hours later and get someone. Below is the actual transcript with their support group.

I thought the transcript below is pretty funny, and shows the total lack of customer support from places like Samsung today. If you think this is amusing, please share this on facebook, twitter or any other social media you use. You can share this on facebook by clicking the little box after the article with the "f" in it. I hope as many people as possible read the following, and I hope you will  help to spread it around.

Transcript of Samsung Technical Support "Chat"

Please wait for a Samsung Agent to respond

 You are now chatting with 'Raven'. There will be a brief survey at the end of our chat to share feedback on my performance today.

 Your Issue ID for this chat is LTK564012656X

Raven: Hi, thanks for reaching out to Samsung tech support. How can I help you today?

Visitor: My samsung camera shuts off when charging through USB and then will not turn on. I have to take battery out and put back in, and then it will turn on

Raven: May I know the model number of the unit?

Visitor: H300 Long Zoom Full HD

Raven: Thanks for the model number.

Raven: Let me provide you with a link which gives you step by step instructions about how to fix this issue.

Raven: http://support-us.samsung.com/cyber/popup/iframe/pop_troubleshooting_fr.jsp?idx=34969&modelname=HMX-H300BN&modelcode=&session_id=TwQ2NJyWVlqGJLtGtpSvv78cH2XvyLhDKBh1HWWKrLDsWkFYkpYG!943095265!1761676444!7501!-1!1194640087!1761676348!7501!-1!1311822006174

Raven: Are you able to access the link?

Visitor: Yes, and I had already read that. It is a new camera, out of box today. When I try and charge it, the charge light never turns green. The camera shuts down, and will not turn on.

Raven: Okay, no problem. Please charge the unit for about hours, then try to power on the unit and check for the result.

Visitor: yes, I have been doing that all afternoon. When I plug the USB cable in, it never shows the unit as charged (orange light stays on). Then the camera locks up and I have to take battery out to reset/restart the camera.

Raven: Please check if the cable is connected firmly at both the ends.

Visitor: I have a Masters degree in Electrical Engineering from Stanford. I know how to connect a cord properly. The camera shuts down when I try and charge it from USB. It then locks up and then I have to take the battery out to restart the camera.

Raven: I understand your concern. The orange LED indicates that it is an issue with the cable. So, I request you to change the cable and check if the issue still persists.

Visitor: Yes, when I initially plugged the cable in, I checked to make sure it was securely plugged in on both ends. I used to design nuclear weapons for a living. I understand the importance of connectors being plugged in properly. It was very important in that line of work. So, I always check the cables carefully, and can assure you they were properly connected.

Raven: Yes, I agree with you that the cables were properly connected. However, the LED (orange) indicates that the cable has gone bad. Please replace the cable to fix this issue.

Visitor: The instructions say an orange light indicates that the battery is "charging", so orange would be normal, but I would not think it should stay orange, it should turn green. Also, I have had it hooked up for the last three hours to the AD adapter charger (different cord, different connection jack). I am sure I have this one plugged in correctly, and still the orange light stays on. Plus, why does the camera "lock up" on me?

Raven: Please allow me to go through the information.

Raven: Thanks for holding.

Raven: Yes, I agree with you.

Raven: May I know if the LED light is flashing light orange color?

Visitor: No, it is a solid orange color.

Raven: Okay, thanks for the confirmation.

Raven: Would you mind holding a few minutes while I gather the required information on your request?

Visitor: I do not mind. I am working on the Amazon Review for this as we speak.

Raven: Thank you.

Raven: Thanks for holding.  

Raven: Since we have tried all the possible troubleshooting and are unable to resolve the issue, we need to file a service request to have the device serviced. Please provide the following information to create the request for this issue:

Raven: 1.        Full name:

Raven: 2.        e-mail address:

Raven: 3.        Model code & Serial number of the unit :

Raven: 4.        Mailing address:

Raven: 5.        Phone number:

Visitor: How does service work? Would I have to pay postage to mail it in? How long would repair take? I have some very important things to videotape in the next few weeks.

Raven: May I know the date of purchase of the unit?

Visitor: I received it in the mail today from Amazon. They gave me $50 off coupon to buy it. I ordered it a few days ago. I am getting nervous about the "coupon" maybe they knew something I did not about this camera.

Raven: Okay, no problem. Thanks for the information.

Raven: May I know if you have the purchase receipt handy?

Visitor: Yes, it is in front of me

Raven: Okay, no problem. Thanks for the information.

Raven: May I know if you have registered the unit on the Samsung website?

Visitor: No, I have spent the day making sure the cable was plugged in correctly, and trying to get the camera to charge. I have not had a chance to register the camera.

Raven: Okay, no problem. Thanks for the information.

Raven: Please provide the following information to create the request for this issue:

Raven: 1.        Full name:

Raven: 2.        e-mail address:

Raven: 3.        Model code & Serial number of the unit :

Raven: 4.        Mailing address:

Raven: 5.        Phone number:

Visitor: I need to understand if I have to pay shipping to return the camera to you. How long the repair will take and whether I am better off just submitting my amazon review now, and returning camera to them. They pay postage if I just return it and cancel the order.

Raven: Thank you for waiting. I'll be with you in just a moment.

Visitor: This is the amazon review I have so far:

Visitor: I ordered this camera because Amazon sent me a $50 off coupon, and the original price seemed reasonable. I had been wanting a new camcorder, and this one had decent reviews, so it appeared to be just the ticket. When I received the camera, the battery appeared to be charged, so I popped a memory card in and started taking videos. Overall, I was very disappointed. I have peacocks, so went out and videotaped the peacocks strutting around doing their thing. As you know peacocks have vibrant, brilliant colors, and so was expecting the video to be vivid. My first surprise was that the screen was useless in bright sunlight. You could not see what you were filming at all. You point towards the subject, and hope you are getting it. Since there is not an optical viewfinder, the camera is next to useless outdoors. I was very surprised at how "dull" the video looked. The colors were not vibrant at all. It had an overall gray look to it, and very low contrast and low saturation. Almost like the images were shot through a smudged lens. The second surprise was the lack of sharpness in the video. The video was made in bright light, and high contrast scene. The focus was very "soft" with details lost. This combined with the low contrast and saturation mentioned earlier results in an unacceptable picture quality, even for a low end camera. The overall video quality from this camera is more like what you get from a phone. In fact, given the quality from this camera, you would likely just leave it at home and use your phone camera. The quality of video from this camera is lower than from previous generation entry/low end video cameras. Overall this camera was a huge disappointment. I did initially decide to keep it because with a large memory card, you can record a long event. I purchased it for an upcoming event so decided to keep it. Then I went to charge it up with the USB cable. The instructions say that as the battery is charging via USB, the small indicator light will be orange. When the battery is charged, it will turn green. What happened when I tried to charge is is that the light remained orange, and would not turn green. The camera would then "shut down" where it would not turn on, and would not be seen by the computer through the USB. Taking the battery out and putting it back in appears to "reset" the camera and allow you to turn the thing back on. As this appeared to be a hardware problem, I tried to call Samsung customer support. I got a recording to call back during normal business hours. I then went to the WEB site and tried to connect to them via the live chat button. I got a response that due to overwhelming help requests, they would be unable to provide live chat support to me. The sound quality is poor as well. There is a noticeable "hum", and the sound of the autofocus and the zoom is pronounced. There is no jack for an external microphone. I also ordered the recommended extra battery. It has a different form factor than the one on the camera, and does not fit nicely.

Raven: Please allow me to go through it.

Visitor: I am actually giving up on you offering me any help.