This site was an inspiration in turning me on to photoblogging. Ever since the author became a dad the posts have been few and far between. I would be pretty pissed if I were the person who donated him a Canon Digital Rebel. Hey, Michael, just send it to me and I will post on this site every day for the next ten years.

I had lunch with my friend Matt today, who is a very talented photographer. He took a couple photos with his DSLR and cross-processed them. Here is the result on his photoblog. I really like the way it turned out and am using the image for a banner on another site. If you get a chance then also check out Matt’s professional site.

On Tuesday I wrote about how Internet Opinion Group gave me the run around again. One thing that I failed to mention was that my gift status had “expired” on the IOG website. However, when I checked it again a couple days later my status had switched to “shipped.”

I did not receive an email, tracking number or phone call about any shipped item. What I did receive was a check in the mail today for six hundered dollars. Below is what it said in the memo section:

Dear InternetOpinionGroup.com Customer,

Due to the overwhelming demand, PalmOne Treo 650 gifts are in short supply. Please accept this $600 check as a replacement for the gift. If you have any questions or concerns about this, please contact us at support_tier1@internetopiniongroup.com or (512) 652-9015.

Enjoy!
-The InternetOpinionGroup.com Team

You may be shocked to learn that I am conflicted over this development. While I am extremely happy about getting cash — especially considering my frustration over this offer — the fact remains that I am not forced to use the money to buy the Treo 650. There are a dozen other things I can think of buying. If I did get the smartphone at least there are enough rebates that I would have a few hundered left over for accessories (and more).

I called Internet Opinion Group again yesterday to check on the status of my “free gift.” Four weeks ago I was told that it was being expedited and that I would receive something in two to four weeks. The line I got last night was that they were still waiting on a shipment of Treo 650’s that was expected in at least two weeks.

The good news is that some people are receiving their gifts. The bad news is that the next generation Treo may be on the market before long.

Another cool thing about PixelPost is that you can pre-publish photos. That way if you are going out of town it appears that you are still around and posting. Unfortunately, I did not have enough time to process and post anything before I left for my vacation/work/vacation. My last photo was published on 7/29/05. The good news is that I have plenty of photos in the archives now (many from my trip). I am going to throw up eleven in a row — and have nine more that will get me well into next week — so be sure to click back through the history.