Rant about Cisco Dropping Flip Video Camera

Really upsetting tech news that I read yesterday about the Cisco Company dropping their Flip camera division. I really like these cameras as I own two of them and recommend them to people. Just a shame.

More Falls Video

Clifton Hill Entertainment District Video

Our First Trip to The Falls

Niagara Falls Casino Video

More Falls Photos

The Greg Frewin Magic Show

Elaine and I went to see Master Magician Greg Frewin. I have seen Greg on NBC and Fox Specials, such as World's Greatest Magic and World's Greatest Magicians and he has won Magician of the Year.
We went for the dinner and the show. The dinner was very good buffet style and our seats were right in front of the stage. The show consisted of Greg's amazing magic, Las Vegas type showgirls, lions, tigers, and music. It was an exciting experience.

Even more so, as Greg picked me as the first volunteer. He opened up a small barrel to show it was empty and gave it to me to hang on to. Next, he brought out a duck named Chuck, put Chuck in a cage and made Chuck disappear. You guessed it, Greg took the barrel I was holding, opened it up, and there was Chuck.

Returning to my seat, the lady next to me asked: "Could you feel the duck going into the barrel?" I should add that she had a big carafe of martini that she was working through.

You were not allowed to take photos in the theater, so here was the lobby photos. There was a magic shop in the lobby where you could buy magic tricks.

Outing One Day

We made a half hour trip to St. Catherines to go to what was billed as the fourth largest mall in Canada, Pencentre. It was very big with many American chain stores, as well as Canadian brand chains.

On the way back, we went to the Clifton Hill District. Elaine described this as the craziest street she was every on. It appeared that over by our end of town was the more adult attractions with upscale shopping, casino, and restaurants. This was more of the family attraction with wax museums, 3D movies, fast food, and arcades.
Dinosaur attack. This is a soon to be completed miniature golf course. Kids will love this.

Here is looking down the street, so you will get a feel of the vicinity.

This was outside the Rainforest Cafe.

Elaine and I at the IMAX Theater

Here we are at the IMAX Niagara Falls: Legends and Daredevils. The movie does a pretty good job telling the history and eventful highlights of the Falls.
After, we toured the Museum where they have the actual barrels of people who went over the Falls. Some survived to fame, fortune, and infamy, while sadly, others did not.

Niagara Casino

This was across the street from the Hilton and we spent time here everyday, not gambling, but just going to eating places or passing through.

I was told that the rich and famous come here. Certainly, professional hockey, baseball, and football athletes, as well as the performing celebrities, such as Robin Williams.
It was amazing to walk through the vast Casino. Several times, we got lost and could not find our way out, which is exactly what you want. There is an all you can eat buffet for $20, which is probably the cheapest place that we saw. They just don't want you to leave.
Elaine saw someone so exhausted, they were slumped over a slot machine, but still pulling the handle. I could not take any pictures inside the actual gambling location, so there are as close as I could get.There was a theater there and the Beach Boys were playing there with two of the original ones and John Stamos on the drums. We tried to get tickets, but we were fourteenth on the waiting list and the waiting list only got as far as two.

This was in the food court, which we ate several meals at. Tim Hortons is everywhere there, on every street corner, practically. The coffee, donuts, sandwiches, and cookies were very good.

The last night, we were taking one last look at the Falls out the back of the Casino, which are lit up at night. Elaine saw this raccoon scavenging for food. Looked like a big one, so I image that people were keeping it well fed.

Elaine and I went to Niagara Falls

Needing a little R & R after the tough winter, Elaine and I took a long weekend, drove five hours, and went to Niagara Falls. We stayed at the Hilton on the Canadian side and had a wonderful trip.

We could not wait to see the Falls, so on the first day, we walked through the Casino, along the path walkway, and took the cable car down to the Falls building.

Out the other side of the Falls Building was the magnificent Niagara Falls. Pictures do not do it justice in terms of the grandeur and splendor, but here are a few, nonetheless.

This was our first view of the Falls and it was breathtaking. The excitement and exhilaration that we both felt was very much akin to the best of my scuba diving adventures. I mean the adrenaline was pumping in both of us. You do not get to see the whole Falls at once as there is this constant mist. Here is the very brink of the falls where it falls over the edge 176 feet down.

It was very cold here at the brink of the falls. The cold and wind was unbelievable and my face chapped in moments. There was this mist and spray from the water shooting up, so I could only stay here for a few minutes at a time. My camera lens were getting misted up right from the start and I had to constantly wipe them, shoot quickly, and wipe again.

Niagara means "Thundering Waters" and the roar here was just unreal. Truly a remarkable experience.

Review of Ron White Show

Elaine and I went to the Canton Palace Theater last night, April Fools Day, to watch comedian Ron White.

This was our first trip to the Palace Theater and we were looking forward to it as Aaron (or Matt as some of you(?) may know him) has worked their since November. Aaron was very busy working in the box office, so we just gave him a quick wave hi, but did not get to talk to him. Aaron was very excited about the show as Ron White is a big name A list comedian, so it was kind of a combination of Aaron working there, a big name coming in, and just a Friday night out after a long winter of being cooped up as to why we went.

As for the Canton Palace Theater, it is a beautiful old style grand opera house type theater from another era, beautifully preserved with the ghosts, light, and ambiance of other days gone by. It was a real thrill for us to meet with Georgia Paxos, Aaron's boss. Very nice lady and she runs a good operation there.

As you can see from the ticket, the performance was for mature audiences. We had watched Ron White several times on Comedy Central and he was funny with his unique take on things, life, and events. I knew about his trademark scotch drinking and cigar smoking. Also, I knew that he was raw (is that the polite term for dirty, filthy, potty mouth, obscene, trash talking, explicit, etc., etc., and, of course, etc.?), but I did not know that he was that raw. Hmmm, Comedy Central must do the editing on most of that. Not to say he wasn't funny or we did not laugh, but I was not expecting the degree of the off-color rhetoric, which was extensive. I know, I know, I should have known, but I have never in my life heard such explicit and crude language and jokes like that. Well, okay, maybe around my sixth grade lunch table.

Oh, there was an incident, too. Ron was about ten minutes into the show and did make mention and a joke of a lady who was holding up a homemade sign in the first row, directly in front of him. At first I thought she was a plant or a shill. Another few minutes and Ron walked away from the microphone, bent down to face her, and let go with an angry profanity filled rebuke. Sounded like she was either talking to those around her or was trying to talk to him while he was performing. The jist of the tirade was that he could not allow her to be distracting to the other fifteen hundred people who had paid to see him perform. Right on, right on. He said that he tried to warn her, but things were already in motion that he had no control over. A few seconds later, three security officers escorted her and her friend from the premises with mixed response from the audience. The show went on, but Ron did express remorse about the incident towards the end of the show.

This was as close as we got to see him. He was in his bus before the show getting a manicure and a pedicure. No, I'm serious. I met a co-worker for Aaron's (sorry, I can't remember your name, but it was nice meeting you) outside the bus who sounded like she was Ron's Official Gopher. She said that Ron had called her from his cellphone to get someone right away for a mani and pedi. So she did.

I don't think Ron travels from Los Angeles in this bus, even though I am sure it is luxorious. He has his own private jet (Ron White Air, I believe), which he probably flies to geographic locations where he is met by the bus and tours in the vicinity, then flies back home.

Elaine and I got there way early so we could get a good parking spot and eat. Actually, we were able to park right across the street and got right out of town when the show was over. We had about an hour before showtime, so we went to The Brownstone, which was a bistro, bar, and grill across from the Palace. Very nice place and we had the lasagna and I had peanut butter pie.

On the whole, it was a somewhat adventurous evening out. If you are a Ron White fan, you will enjoy the show, not to say that we did not, but we enjoy clean humor more. We are looking forward to attending more shows at the Canton Palace Theater.

I would rate Ron White at **1/2. (I would have given higher if he was cleaner)

I would rate The Brownstone at ***.

I would rate The Canton Palace Theater at ****. (I apologize for the bias)

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