President's File
October 2010

(The President's message will occasionally be writen by editor Patrick Libert)

From the Editor

Elections!

Did the titles peak your attention? That was my intention.

Two crucial election events are about to happen:

• The National midterm election
• The DACS Board Director election

I am always puzzled by the lack of interest in and the poor turnout for elections in the USA. Unlike the situation in my native country, France, which is currently rocked by violent demonstrations and protests against upcoming major changes in social programs, we are totally able as US citizens to choose what we want by VOTING! We hem and haw, rant and rave about politicians and their policies yet when it comes to voicing our opinions effectively, we stay home and often say, “My vote won’t make any difference.”

HORSE FEATHERS! We are a country of more than 300 million persons of which approximately 260 million are eligible voters. In most elections, we are barely able to get 50% to show up at the polls. In the last major French election, 84% of the voters participated! Just imagine how much we would be able to change if 218 million US voters let their politicians know how they felt. Among the many things I learned in the US Marines Corps is the fact that there is no such word as “can’t.” When your thoughts drift towards the excuse of “I can’t do this”, give it a second thought. Your country depends on you more than ever.

This leads me into the second election event, the DACS Board of Directors annual election in December. Serving as a DACS Director is a great privilege and allows you to steer this Society in the direction you prefer. It is not a demanding position requiring only a monthly meeting commitment. Plus, having this participation show on your résumé is most favorable.

I have been a Director for four years and you would not believe how much I have learned just from the discussions at the Board meetings.

 We would like you to be involved. Email us this month at dacsboard@dacs.org with any suggestions and applications for this position. We welcome you with open arms.

Presto!

As if by magic, Xmarks disappears and reappears once more. Referring to Jim Scheef’s current column, Xmarks announced earlier that they were not going to survive and I promptly removed this useful software from my hard drive. They’re ba-a-a-ack! Shall I re-subscribe or wait to see if it will last? Can I trust a company who may have used sneaky marketing tactics? It’s puzzlement!

Apple, Please Stop! I Can’t Take It.

I was just beginning to recover from my iPad drooling envy when Steve Jobs announces a new and improved MacBook Air at Tuesday’s presentation.

Budgetary constraints and functionality had convinced me that it would be wise to wait for the iPad with built in camera which will probably surface in the Spring of 2011. Now there is another attractive possibility, albeit more costly, to satisfy my craving for a solid-state machine that can be taken anywhere without fear of hard drive failure. Weighing 2.3 pounds and not quite 12 inches wide with high resolution and a built in camera, it may cause me to seek treatment for chronic drooling.

Smile, You’re on Candid Camera!

November’s presentation is always one of my favorites. Gary Spring from Ritz Camera (http://www.ritzcamera.com) on Plumtrees Road in Danbury usually arrives with an entourage of photographic equipment worthy of a modern Ansel Adams.
Digital photography evolves daily. Having an expert such as Gary to bring us up-to-date is a privilege. His knowledge of the current models and trends will be very useful, especially if we are thinking of giving or upgrading our own photographic equipment at the time of the holidays.
I will look forward to seeing you at the General Meeting on Tuesday, November 2.
Vote first, then enjoy the meeting.