My Review of the Manfrotto MVH500A Fluid Drag Video Head with MVT502AM Tripod

In this video review, I delve into the world of ENG with the Manfrotto MVH500A Fluid Drag Video Head with MVT502AM Tripod. This concise report could be quite informative for those interested in a tripod and fluid head combination for video production. This is a solid option for those seeking a high-quality fluid head and tripod combo for Electronic News Gathering (ENG).

My wife Professor Ann Marie Leimer uses this video tripod with her Lumix GH5 perched atop to interview Chicanx artists and academics. A professional setup indeed. After many years of hands-on experience, I sincerely believe that Manfrotto is an excellent brand worthy of your professional consideration. Feel free to contact me should you have any questions about this product, video or post. If you have the time please like, subscribe and share my YouTube video.

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My First Blog Food Review: Anchos Southwest Grill and Bar

Anchos Southwest Grill and Bar
10773 Hole Avenue, Riverside, CA 92505-2862

Who Forgot the Spices?

My wife and I had high hopes for this restaurant, but were disappointed in the end. The food here is what I term, "Mild Mex," meaning, bland and destined for the palates of the uninitiated. I have eaten great Southwestern and Mexican cuisine in California, New Mexico, Arizona, Texas and Mexico. This food would be scorned in all of these communities.

My wife ordered cheese enchiladas and I chicken. We spent about $30 for our food and water. To be fair, I will only describe what I ate. My enchiladas were filled with simple grilled chicken. The tortillas were covered in a tasteless chili sauce. In a good Southwestern restaurant, the chicken would have been marinated in a spicy sauce with onions and various seasonings. Here the chicken was just chopped and added naked to the tortilla. Tasteless! By the way, in the Mild Mex tradition, the salsa that accompanied the chips was about 90 percent tomato. The salsa was one step hotter than tomato sauce. It had the consistency of spaghetti sauce. Yuck!

Discriminating palates from Santa Fe, Tucson or Austin would ask for their money back and would never come back to this place in Riverside. I figure this joint gets most of its business from the rotund county bureaucrats that barely serve the public next door. Only they would appreciate such bland offerings and consider this junk a respite from their ham and white bread sandwiches.

They probably also stop here for the drinks. Only then would the food be palatable. Eventually the government employees who frequent this attempt at a restaurant have to slosh back to their cubicle and push more paper. Gratefully, they know that sooner than later they'll be waddling to the restroom where they can do their best work. Thankfully, the food at Anchos doesn't stick around for long.

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Hurry Up and Wait For Your Sony BDP-S560 Blu Ray Player From SonyStyle

Like most of you, I hate being given the runaround. When I originally ordered my Sony Blu Ray player (BDP-S560) in mid-June, 2009, the folks at SonyStyle said it would ship on July 1. Well, apparently they weren't telling the truth. The SonyStyle website noted last week that the new Sony product wouldn't ship until late July. Today, the website noted in bright-red letters that the ship date has been moved to mid-August.

The folks (sales person) at SonyStyle said that I would get my player a month ahead of shoppers at BestBuy, Sears and other vendors. They were Sony. I believed them and now I have to wait for another month or two. By that time HDMI 1.4 versions may be out, making my $350 investment "old school."

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