Project Rice

Olympus E-1, Olympus Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Digital: 1/640s f/2.8 at 14.0mm iso100

I have to hurry this post, as I've been replying to emails from my Family & from Martijn Ros in the Netherlands, who I owe 2 more images too, for his brochure for www.pasukfoundation.org - so please bear with me as the past few days have been tough.

Another Cyclone blew through a few days back when I had to go to Bogo for business - it was pissing rain again & the winds came back, so riding the motorcycle & carrying my laptop to this net cafe is impossible when that occurs.

Yesterday I spent the entire afternoon trying to fix my WACOM pen tablet (I use this instead of a mouse for editing images in Photoshop), as it went completely berzerk drawing all sorts of square shapes on my desktop background while I was trying to use it, and it was opening 5 to 10 different programs on its own when I was just tring to open image files....t just failed, the pointer tip has failed, as well as the side-click buttons, and probably the tablet itself has failed.

I un-installed it & re-installed it & the correct drivers, to no avail.

I even did a WINXP system restore, back to Dec.18th, and that didn't bring the WACOM tablet back in working order either....its fried.

It even opened Photoshop 8 times, on my taskbar, before I had to pull the plug.......its done, dead in the water.

That also means I can not edit my photos on my laptop until I get that issue resolved....I have been trying to use a mouse, and/or the laptop touchpad, but making complex selections of an image in Photoshop is absolutely maddening, completely frustrating, and nearly impossible using these tools - that's why photographers & grapic image professionals use a pen/tablet, as its extremely precise, rendering a touchpad/mouse obsolete - and speeds up the workflow dramatically.

I do not have a replacement for the one that failed here (its out of warranty at 18 mos +) and next year I know that I will need to bring 2 tablets for the workstation.

Mine's dead now & tomorrow I have to try to get an email out to WACOM.com and beg them for a replacement, as there are no Malls or computer stores on small Islands, and I absolutely don't have the $300.00USD needed to get back to the mainland, get a 3 hour bus to Cebu, grab a flight to Manila, get a hotel for a night or two in Manila, and locate a $50.00USD WACOM graphics tablet at one of the huge shopping Malls there (I'm sure Manila's tech stores would carry them).

Are there ANY photographers or Graphic Designers here reading this, who might have an extra WACOM or AIPTEK pen/tablet they could part with and ship to me here on the Island? (refurb's would be perfect; it would not need to be new)

If anyone with info on that matter could text or call me on my cellular here, I'd be in your debt.
+63-921-331-4395 (as dialed from anyplace outside Philippines)

From within Philippines, dial: 0921-331-4395

Thank you all for reading, Thank you to Steve Griffith who did an absolutely miraculous, last-minute wonderfull thing to save Mama Helen's small plot of land here on the Island, from the local Bank who was about to take it as re-payment for a $300USD debt - and I'll be posting about that tomorrow.

Best Regards,
PJAMES

ps: yes I fell in the above picture; it was my own fault for not having my light out while navigating my steps here, and man did it hurt - felt more like gasoline buring on my leg, to tell you the truth, and yes it's healing up now.

As Coca Cola Steve says to me: "No Worries"