First, he starts off - as always - with a product review. But, it is not a review; he is basically pimping products. A review would mean he would, well, review it, not just point out the highlights and give the cost. Has he ever stated that a certain product was not really worth the money? Then, again, I usually don’t read the product reviews in the mag, since they are generally high ticket items from big advertisers, so I don’t know it there are any negative reiews there, either.
Used to be. Back in the day.
Then he wasted the rest of the segment explaining how to wrap gifts. Didn’t most of us learn that from our Mother when we were nine or 10?
I am not usually this negative, and really enjoy the print and most of the on-line stuff, but they are going overboard. You can’t go to the forums without a pop-up. 2/3 of the home page (at least) is either sponser advertising or things that have an add-on cost.
I’m starting to feel like Charlie Brown with all of the commercialism.
I like Cody’s Office… I like seeing the new products. I work for a T.V. station and know a little about putting together a segment… A guess would be Cody & his friends, (If they are like most places this time of year) are trying to get a month’s worth of work done in a month where many staff members take off from work and you lose 4 or 5 normal work days to holiday time…so they just did the quickest bit they could in one take… The only thing I’d add as far as input… I’d like to see some more advanced modeling hints…
Sorry, but I went back and looked at the past couple e-mail newsletters I received telling me that there was a new Cody’s Office. No where did it say anything about a “review”. They bill it as a modeler’s spotlight video. Where did you get the idea that it was a review?
I enjoy cody’s office also, but I think he wasted a lot of gift wrap. I usually cut the paper closer to the proper dimensions when I gift wrap. But keep up the good work Cody.
Well, there’s always people, usually 10% who don’t get the word as we use to say in the Navy and that includes most of us at one time or another. I missed out on learning the tip of folding the paper where it is cut to get a smooth edge and straight line. Thanks, Cody. My Mother were she alive would thank you also for correcting me.
Any way Cody makes his presentations interesting and shows a sense of humor. Not all are of interest to me but I enjoy watching any way.
I really enjoy “Cody’s Office” each week, but I have to agree with you Al.
I’ve been thinking for some time now that the new products section doesn’t have much information in it. You can almost bet any rolling stock reviewed will have Knuckle couplers, seperately applied grab irons, fine printing etc. I guess it’s worth thinking about the things Cody doesn’t mention that might need checking.
Usually the hints and tips are good, but I thought it was a joke when Cody mentioned he was going to show us how to wrap a boxcar (and he didn’t even mention to check the price tag was removed, something I have missed many times to my embarrassment). But if someone learnt to fold the edges back to make it look better, then it wasn’t wasted.
Hopefully in the new year Cody will inspire us with bigger and better things. It must be hard to come up with something new each week.
I particularly like the spotlight “reviews”. Unfortunetly I haven’t been able to see this weeks episode yet, but I probably skip over the gift wrapping portion when I do. It’s something I look forward too each week. Although it really has nothing to do with Cody’s video’s, I so agree about the pop up adds. It’s annoying. And as for the big numerous SPONSER adds original poster, thats how MR gets money, that’s why they’re called sponsers. And I like the adds. I’m into modeling N but if I see something I like I check things out no matter the scale, so their adds do do their job.
I have to admit i find it interesting at times but mostly entertaining. Lets face it there aren’t going to be any Oscars displayed in the lobby of Model railroader anytime soon but if you think it’s easy get out your own video camera and just try doing one on the fly yourself. Then play it back and see how dorky you look. Not saying Cody has refined dorkiness to a new art form but he’s actually pretty good at reviewing the products and his tips are actually pretty informative. Over all it’s a great segment and look forward to seeing more.
Maybe we can get the best of or a Cody’s Office marathon a great stocking stuffer for next year…
I like Cody’s Office too. I watch every episode as they come out. I don’t think he is trying to do a review of the new products, but simply bring them to our attention. I don’t expect a critical review of any of these products.
The only criticism I have of the gift wrapping lesson is that he didn’t use anywhere near enough tape. In wrapping a package that size my wife would have used half a roll of tape. She likes to make the gift recipient work for the present. Her wrapped packages do really look great when she’s finished, you just need scissors and a knife to get them open, but then that’s part of the “fun”.
I enjoy Cody’s office, and don’t mind the showing of new products if not an analysis. I really enjoy the modeling techniques he demonstrates, and if as much as possible can be contributed to that the better. (OK, Christmas wrapping was a bit off topic and a disappointment for the week, but I can take something like that now and then). I just hope it continues every week. I’m not expecting Oscar perfection, just some good modeling help like talking to a friend who wants to show me how.
After viewing Cody’s Office, I was glad to see this thread. I too believe he used way to little tape. One thing I wish he had mentioned was an easier way to determine the proper amount of paper to hang over the ends to ensure proper coverage yet not so much to get the bulky bulge. Oh well, maybe next year.