Random 5 for August 26 – Browsers, ads, millennials, hearing, death

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For the techies – I finally ditched Internet Explorer. My computer was getting hung up all the time even on other programs like Outlook and Word. Switching the browser seems to have cleared it up. It was easier than tossing the computer out the window (don’t tell me you’ve never wanted to do that!) and buying another one!

On the topic – Have you noticed that if you click on a video there is an ad in the middle? Before it was at the beginning (and still is for some). I could decide if I wanted to wait or not. Now you get hooked into a video and then they have a 30 second ad in the middle. I close it out. Don’t like sneaky.

A cat after my own heart!

Those millennials! – I got an email from Starbucks that listed what the millennials are drinking. I was curious. The major theme was lots of extra shots of espresso. Yikes!

Can you hear me now? – We were out with some friends this week. One friend didn’t seem to understand anything. He repeated the same question over and over (as if there might be a different answer) and it seemed like the synapses weren’t snapping. His wife said he can’t hear so well but would not acknowledge it. A long time ago I learned that it’s better to be upfront about any hearing deficits. If I say I don’t hear so well, people make the effort to face me when they talk to me and speak up. I lost my pride a long time ago.

And a sad end – It was a weekend of death. One of our beloved grandpups had to be put down. He was diagnosed with an advanced incurable disease and his quality of life wasn’t good. He was a young dog. Another daughter was visiting to attend a celebration of life for one of her childhood friends. He wasn’t yet 50. All too young. All too sad.

So how was your week?

62 thoughts on “Random 5 for August 26 – Browsers, ads, millennials, hearing, death”

  2. Silence that is so loud – with ears and missing pups. Hope this week is better.
    Hearing aids are tricky – don’t work with everyone (Husband’s hearing fades in and out depending on weather, allergies, and stuff – it’s a loose ear drum. One minute he can’t hear well, so I shout, and the next he’s back to normal and asks me why I’m talking so loud. Sigh. I do remember to face him if I’m not sure – but the situation is problematic. Wish he’d stop guessing at what he thinks people are saying – it causes some comic weirdness at times ) My dad had problem with background noise with his hearing aid – he had to sit in restaurants with his back to wall – and corners bounce sound differently. We all have to be flexible eventually
    I love the cat picture…hate computer issues…more and more as time goes by

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  4. Sad about the grandpup and the friend that did indeed die to young. So sorry, Kate.
    Aren’t you happy to be rid of IE? I really do like Chrome. BUT it all is linked up to Google and Google is too dang nosy and all up in my business. Guess that is for sure the downside of the internet… plus the ads which have gotten way beyond annoying.

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    • I am happy I changed browsers. I had been talking about it for at least 2 years but learning new is not something I enjoy (especially with computers). I already had to do my ancestry research on Chrome so in that process I learned a lot and it wasn’t a hard switch. I miss some of the features they had that made life easier but life goes on. Ads, bleah! I am starting to get inundated with ads for pee-proof underwear. What’s that about? What algorithm did I fall into?

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  5. You’ve had a tough few weeks Kate; first seeing the old friend who had some physical challenges and now this …

    When Starbucks moved into our building, about six years before I started working from home, I used to stop in every morning for the tallest earthy brew no cream. I used to know the days of the week and what they brewed. I never cared for Sumatra which was a little too bitter for my tastes. I do know I was humming for most of the day from that cup of coffee, so how those millennials infuse themselves with extra shots of espresso I don’t know – they’re going to have heart palpitations with that drink order.

    I hate Internet Explorer and our computer guy says we can only use it because it is safer. I use IE to remote into work but for nothing else. It is slow and half the time I watch the little blue circle spinning and it takes me ten minutes to remote into my desk top at work. I use Chrome and I really like Opera too (I’m on Windows 7).

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    • I want to navigate to Firefox which my computer guy really recommends. I haven’t done that yet. My computer was so slow that I thought I’d give Chrome a try and everything changed so it must have been IE. One of these days I’ll download Firefox.

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    • I favor Pike’s Place myself, and the black tea lemonade with pineapple. Speaking of sad passings, its coming up to the third anniversary of my brother’s passing from pancreatic cancer. It will be 3 years to the day on August 28th that I went to pay my respects to him last. Sad indeed. As for the millennials, well, they will get older like the rest of us someday, and then they won’t be into those triple shots of this, and that 😀 Life is good indeed when you’re older. Although, if I had a time machine, heck yeah, I’d go back about 30 years or so, and stay there 😀 Those were better times, and the world was a little more innocent, and a little bit slower.

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      • I am liking the comment, but not for the sad demise of your brother, and you have my sympathies on the third-year anniversary today of seeing him alive. My neighbor passed away with pancreatic cancer. He was a construction worker, full of vim and vigor until this horrible disease ravaged his body. He passed away in July of 1990 and a few weeks before his death, I was out in the backyard doing yardwork and saw him slowly shuffle from the house to a small table and chair and he put his head down on his arms and wept. I went into the house as he had not seen me and I did not want him to see I had witnesses his pain and anguish. I came in and wept as well. Just like I wept when a neighbor I’d known for decades and was very friendly with our family, developed dementia and didn’t have a clue who I was. I was upsetting to me and still is when I think of her.

        I’ve never tried the Pike’s Peak nor any of the cold drinks and they may have had all those specialty drinks after Robb (my boss) and I left the Firm and moved about 1 1/4 miles from the downtown Detroit business district. We bought the bags of Starbucks coffee, Italian blend I believe, at the grocery store and brought them in – I’ve not worked onsite since 2009 and I’ve not had Starbucks since I left. I live alone and am the only drinking coffee, so I just buy instant now and make it by the cup.

        The millennials have a long time until they reach our age, and maybe will be sorry for thinking we were so far removed from them. I often have told myself that I would have fared better in the 50s … I like the innocent world because I agree with you, this modern world moves too fast for me. I begin each day listening to the international/national/local news on the radio. Usually by the time that is over, I’m filled with disgust over something in one or each of those categories.

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        • I rarely listen to the news because it’s so upsetting. I do just enough to keep up but no more. I know the sadness when you see someone change before your eyes. I remember the pain the first time my mother got confused. She was my strong support for so many years. Then I was hers.

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          • You’ve had it tough Kate. My father left my mother after 33 years and took all the money out of the bank and an annuity account leaving her penniless but thank goodness the house was paid for. My mom and I were close before and she was my last remaining relative and passed away in 2010. She was hit by a car at age 11 and had over 40 operations so lived in pain her entire life – so that is why I never take my good health for granted. The neighbor’s dementia occurred after her husband of over 60 years lost his battle with cancer. She called over to me when I was in the yard to ask the time and didn’t know my name. I can’t imagine going through this with a family member – it would be very brutal.

            I just wrote my cat friend Carol. She loves all animals, but cats especially, and I had to share what I just heard on a news talk station. Perhaps this has been going on and this was the first I heard about it, but I am so appalled. A veterinarian said the opioid epidemic is so bad, that some people are harming their pets, (detectable harm that vets know cannot be an accident, like too clean a slice/cut etc., then taking them to the vet … you know where this is going … then they get meds (opioids) and keep them for themselves and not give them to the pet, who was healthy until they harmed them. I have no words for that.

            I meant to say last time that it is Pumpkin Latte time at Starbucks starting today. Now I did have a few of the hot drinks, but very occasionally. the eggnog and the caramel macchiato, and I enjoyed them.

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  6. The other aspect of ads being “sneaked in” is being asked which ad I prefer. I can’t remember now where this happened, but it’s been a couple of times. An ad is played, and then I’m asked if I want more of that kind or I’m offered another. I really don’t want either. I can’t imagine this could be helpful to anyone, but the world of advertising is lost on me! I’m so sorry about the loss of both the grandpa and your daughter’s loss of a friend. I have heard through friends and others of so many recent deaths among people much younger than I, and just shake my head at the sadness this must bring into families. Too young, too soon, indeed! I hope you have a really good and “uneventful” week, Kate!

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    • Ads, I responded to another comment that lately I’ve been getting pee-proof underwear ads and I don’t know why. Maybe they know something I know. Our August has been extremely busy (after a June and July where most social events were rained out or shortened). We are winding down this week and have absolutely nothing scheduled for next week! Yay!

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  7. The sneaking of ads into everything everywhere is really annoying. Even some bars and restaurants I’ve been too have ads on the washroom stalls. That’s just wrong. Yes, I shut down those videos right away – just on principle.

    Hearing about the loss of loved ones seems to be a regular occurrence now – THE big negative of getting older 😦

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  8. I’m sorry your friend won’t get some help with his hearing. It’s so easy to “fix” and will make his life much better. I see so many people with teeny little devices in and around their ears… nothing to be ashamed of at all. Life is too short (as you also pointed out) to miss out on the things that bring you joy.

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  10. Premature departures always make one stop and think about life, be it in an upright or one of our 4-legged ‘fur-iends.’ Sorry death followed your family this weekend. May tender memories of better days provide comfort for you all at this time of loss and grief.

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  13. I’m far from being a millennial, but I’m sitting here drinking a mocha cold-pressed expresso. I’m hooked on the stuff! It really helps me get the words written. 🙂
    This week, we slept with the windows open for the first time! Of course, now it’s back in the 90’s, but definitely less humid. You can feel autumn is around the corner.

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  15. Love the Starbucks Kitty. I know how strong their espresso is…you could positively launch from it.

    Sad when animals go…the innocents, and 50, wow…yes, that’s much too soon. So sorry. An actor I know just died. He was 60, and the nicest fella. My heart strings pulled when his son said, my Dad was my best friend, so it’s as though I’ve lost two people. sigh

    Let’s enjoy the day, for them.

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  16. I’m always relieved when someone warns me about someone else’s hearing. I talk fast, and then I can make an effort to slow down and speak up. It’s better than being offended because I think someone is ignoring all my hilarious commentary (it’s hilarious in my own mind, anyway).

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