A new one – I get a lot of weird stuff but this one stunned me. I received a request to write a guest post on another blog. It is a technical website. They want me to write a technical post. Obviously they’ve never read my blog especially when I plead for advice from my readers. Here is my technical advice to anyone thinking of purchasing a computer or a cell phone. Buy the red one.
Going with that thought – The beloved husband bought me a new camera two years ago. When I took a video I couldn’t find it on the memory card. For two whole years! I was using my old camera for videos but something went out of focus. After a series of bad words, I picked up a guide for the camera (no it didn’t come with the camera!). The first paragraph in the video section said that it’s hard to find the videos on a memory card (an understatement). They explained and I found them. All of them. I got a message that I needed to download a program (which I didn’t really need). After 15 minutes of futzing around (and more bad words) I can now take, see and download videos. The memory card had all the videos from the past two years along with my commentary on how stupid it was. Now seriously, do you want ME to write a computer techie post? It would be colorful!
Out damn clothes – I have considerably less clothes than I did when I worked yet more than I need or wear. Sometimes new purchases don’t live up to their promise. This week I wore a newer flannel shirt. Just like my old flannel bed sheets, it’s like sandpaper. I wear jeans and a sweatshirt or warm top every day. I like to look stylish yet casual. I try to mix it up. That leads to epic purchasing failures. Like this (gorgeous plaid) stiff shirt (which is going in the donate pile after I wash it)!
I’m ready folks! – The best thing about the holidays is the behavioral change in people. They are nice. They open doors. They smile. Even the worst curmudgeon (and that may be me) softens. We are in prime time for that. It ends on January 2nd so I intend to enjoy every second. Yes, you can buy me a Starbucks!
Say what? – Two retired people this past week told me that their replacement either quit or was fired. They were two very different jobs in very different fields. Both retirees loved their job. We reminisced about how much easier jobs are today because the boring grunt work is done by computers. Much of the work I did in my first several years is all automated now. Those jobs don’t exist and if they did, I doubt if anyone would want them. We are a different society today.
So how was your week?
I get asked all the time if guest bloggers can post on my site. They want to write dog articles. Such a good fit! 🙂 If you’d like to post a tech piece on mine, let me know.
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Not likely to happen although I could write a tongue in cheek piece.
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That’s an interesting point about the grunt work being done by computers today but it’s so true. I guess it’s the world you’re born into and what your experiences might be.
I love the story about your new camera. I guess reading manuals should be our first priority but I’m not very good at that kind of thing..:)
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I did business writing when I worked. Manuals need to be written by someone who can simplify the process. As for grunt work, some of my early jobs were very boring. I only stayed with them to move on. Today people aren’t willing to do that.
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I think the inquiries for you to write a technical post aren’t that far off. Perhaps it’s the humor with which you battle tech problems that make your observations worth while. 🙂 I haven’t particularly noticed people being “holiday friendly,” but you’ve encouraged me to perhaps be a little more festive myself! Perhaps I can do a little better. 🙂
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I’m still waiting for people to be jolly but it’s got to happen!
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“buy the red one” ha ha ha! First laugh of the day, fun post, Kate! MJ
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Am I just getting less tolerant of reading directions or are the directions getting too complicated? Why can’t we just buy things that give us clear directions when we need them and don’t bother us with a bunch of directions we don’t need right now or that assume knowledge we don’t have?
Today I played Christmas music while I addressed Christmas cards. I put the music on shuffle and got some nice variety. Last night we had our neighborhood Christmas party. A couple of people wore red and green pixie hats that lit up and rang bells. We guessed how many candies in a jar, talked and laughed, ate appetizers and drank wine. Pretty good holiday cheer.
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I got the RED glasses! Does that count? Good Morning, Kate!
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Absolutely! Love red glasses!
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I’m hoping that folks will carry that holiday cheer well into the new year—god knows we need it.
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Me too. We don’t have enough of it.
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Christmas should be all year round. Well, minus the shopping—we’d go broke.
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I thought my week was pretty good until I heard it’s Christmas time! Why did it get here so fast? I am not ready! Being retired now I am totally unorganized. I usually make gifts but haven’t even started. Maybe I will give gift IOU’s this year.
I hear you about clothes. I have a closet full and wear the same things every week. Plan is to cull the closet in January, maybe.
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No matter how often I cull the closet, more pops up. Does clothing clone itself? Mate? Sneak in when you’re not looking?
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Technology makes human work instead of computers working for the employes. That’s how bad the age of tech.
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If this is a commercial blog asking for articles, they are trying to get free content and new followers (yours). Don’t buy it. If they are making money from their blog, you should be making money too by being paid to write.
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There has to be some kind of catch. I deleted the email.
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Good advice: get the red one. I have a red camera, do you suppose that counts? And speaking of colour, I bet the air was blue around your camera this week!
Fun post – glad you lived to tell the tale.
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Red cameras count!
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LOL about you writing techy post! Would probably be the best tech post I read.
Purple cell phones are the best! In my humble opinion. Haha!
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Purple! Good choice!
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I get requests for guest posts now and then that makes me wonder if someone else is posting on my blog when I’m not looking. I’ve never been asked to write one for a techie blog, though. In response to some requests, I’m tempted to email back, “Write your own damn blog posts, quit looking for others to do it.” I guess that wouldn’t be nice.
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I can understand when it’s someone I know but in this case it wasn’t. It was a technical blog. I would hope that they vet their writers better than that.
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Yeah, it’s the ones we don’t know that are a puzzle. I don’t think they vet at all… those are the ones I’d like to question their motives.
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I bought my new camera this week. I’ve been saving for it for over a year, and yep, I bought the red one.
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I am so proud of you!
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I hear you about the weird guest blog requests. I got one to write about biking trips. I haven’t ridden a bike in over a decade, but this website wanted me to review bike trips. Exactly how was that going to happen? Flattered as I was by this offer, I passed on it.
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Sometimes I wonder if they really read the posts written. No one would ask me to do a techie post or a bicycle one either!
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I’m assuming it must have been the posts you did on getting your new computer. That’s pretty funny, though. It’d be like writing for a tool blog. I’ve noticed in the past several years that you have to download manuals for products now. In some ways I like that because you can word search, but admittedly it’s way for companies to save money. – Marty
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I don’t mind downloading actually. However, my sewing machine, bought in 1994, no longer has an on-line manual. Wish I would saved it to my computer.
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So was it fun to watch your old videos?
My husband gets less cheery during the holidays. I found him a Santa Hat with “Bah Humbug” written across it.
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I was amazed. There were no swear words, just incredulous that the damn camera wasn’t working.
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I like your Random 5 – it’s always entertaining 🙂
Your technical advice sounds really good to me. I always get stared at blankly whenever I ask a salesperson what colour options I have 😉
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It’s how I buy a car too. That and how deep the drink well is to be sure my venti cup fits. Keep it simple!
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I make sure my bike fits 🙂
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How was my week? If we are on the subject of technology it went bad. Two different banks made three bad errors on my accounts. Note to people who don’t balance their checking accounts: you better start. These were computer scanning and people-too-stupid-for-computers errors. Cost me two hours of time.
By the way, get the rose gold iPhone. So purty.
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Ok, rosegold it is!
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Hehe
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Last night mom and I drove to Huntsville and toured the Galaxy of Lights at the botanical gardens. It was lots of fun! I don’t decorate myself, but certainly enjoy the efforts of others.
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That’s a great seasonal thing to do!
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I have a Canon camera and love it for it’s ease of use and the great pictures and videos it takes. It is small enough to fit in my purse so I can get it into our concerts and yet the zoom is powerful so I can get really close shots. I think I dropped it one too many times though because now I have some issues with the audio on the videos. Any technical advice for that? I see lots of holiday cheer going on at Michaels. Also some Bah Humbug truth be told.
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My old camera is an Olympus. I loved it but the focus went out for videos. All of them are fuzzy. I need to have it looked at. My new camera is a Sony. It’s pretty super duper and as with all things super duper, my mind is not super duper enough.
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Everyone in the Sunshine State is perpetually “sunny” . . . except for the curmudgeons. 😀
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Got to have some curmudgeons or else it will be happy!
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My mother’s refrain whenever I was frustrated by something was “Did you read the directions?” I think it was the teacher in her coming out. So now I search out the manuals for my tech and save the pdfs to my hard-drive and back up the files and still rarely read the directions.
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The manual is difficult to read and understand which is why we ended up buying a camera guide for this model by someone outside of the company. Perhaps manuals are written by people with English as a 27th language! It’s probably why people avoid reading the instructions.
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Ah. Smart.
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My new cell phone is grey…. and is constantly rebelling against my finger tips. I wish you had posted this earlier, then I would have bought a red one. 🙂
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What can I say? I have the best tips!
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🙂
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I would take tech advice from you any day, Kate….with or without the colourful words!
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My favorite advice on anything is “Google it!”
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You’re right, Kate. The workplace is a different place these days. Some of the younger generation, not all, but many I see, think work means getting paid to surf the net, watch videos or scroll Facebook for eight hours, while collecting a paycheck…very sad. Go Eagles!
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They don’t want to have any “boring” work. Even with jobs I loved, there were always tasks that weren’t my favorite. I had one Gen X want an office (with a window). It was her first job. Before that she was a waitress. Important day for Eagles!
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I guess people are happier in Pennsylvania because most of New York seems in need of hospitalization. The mood swings alone are scary, and just a while ago, crossed the street to avoid one of these loonies because she’s that nuts, and it’s only the 3rd. Let’s reexamine after, say, the 15th, if she’s not in the state asylum by then.
How nice you were asked to write for another site. I remember when you posted about your new computer, and camera. Write about that. Be your funny, irreverent self. A suggestion.
I just bought a new dress on sale at Banana, that well, now I need a place to go, but I gave a dress away. That”s my rule. If one comes in, one goes out.
That’s all folks on a chilly Sunday, and here’s always to the spirit of the Random 5 I so look forward to. 🙂
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I’m pretty sure the request was part of a mass mailing to anyone with a blog rather than directed to me for my “extraordinary” writing and understanding of technology! A new one in and an old one out is a great rule. I try to do it but I’m so weak!
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You underestimate your writing, in my humble, thin girl’s opinion.
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We must have had the same camera. I gave up and recycled mine.
I like holiday cheer, too! I sing in the car all the time, but Friday I caught myself singing a Christmas carol outside in the parking lot, and no one seemed to mind. Christmas gets to ya!
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When I was younger, I always went into NYC on Christmas and stayed for a few days. It was magic. Everything was decorated and people were nice. Then it went away.
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