I just read that FaceBook is starting up Messages so that we can all spend more time online 'socializing'. OK. I guess. But I'm still wondering how something that is going to remove us even further from personal contact can be called socializing LOL I'll admit I'm technology resistant and more that a bit behind times but I just don't see typing in yet another message being quite the same as a good old heart-to-heart over a cup of coffee. There's just something lost in not having that personal face to face contact. Maybe it's advancing age or maybe it's just the dislike of technology but I don't see where all our social networking is doing us much good.
On a recent trip to Walt Disney World I was amazed and actually a bit horrified to see the large number of people texting and cell chatting away while ignoring their surroundings. Adults and children alike walked down Main Street oblivious to the excitement around them, their eyes and attention focused on the small screen in their hands. I mean, come ON people, this is the height of entertainment, a virtual overload for the senses, and you've got your heads stuck in a Droid or iPhone! ROFL How much more removed from the 'real' world can we get?
I have friends that I have not had a conversation with in years. Oh, I've tried, believe me. But it's difficult to talk much less carry on a coherent conversation when they're poking at their cell phone every 15 seconds Tweeting or texting or whatever the latest craze is. Not to mention it's just plain rude! We'll skip over the dangerous texting and gabbing drivers, the restaurant meals ruined by over loud hand-held video games and even the abundance of TMI everywhere we look. Really, it is THAT important to know what so-and-so star had for breakfast? LOL
When email became popular many mourned the demise of the written letter and what it's loss might mean for our over all community connection. Electronic books took away the book lovers joys of fresh bindings not yet cracked open and the smell of ink on paper. Cell phones made it impossible to have an uninterrupted conversation, meal or even potty break without our personal phone or another's demanding attention. And hey, the days of boosting the visiting kid up at the table by sitting them on the phone book are also leaving too. Seems even now directories, information and operators are all obsolete thanks to social networking and technology. Don't be too sad though. They tell me it's worth it in the resources and trees saved LOL Don't get me wrong. Conservation is great but over all I'd rather save the human element in our social networking.
If I might make a small suggestion to all those in cyber land . . . UNPLUG! Turn the cell phone off, ignore the Twitters, forget the link to FaceBook or UTube and see if you remember what it's like to have an honest to gosh conversation face to face with another human being. One not interrupted by the latest ring tone, multi-tasked or conducted with one ear and one eye on your Blackberry. We're people here, not machines, and we deserve undivided attention.
Changes in Attitude . . .
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
WSYX ABC6 On Your Side Top Story - Taxi Crashes Into Delaware Pond
WSYX ABC6 On Your Side Top Story - Taxi Crashes Into Delaware Pond
Hey all, I have a hero in the family! Jeff Allen, the man second to be interviewed is my nephew! He helped pull the driver out of the water!
Hey all, I have a hero in the family! Jeff Allen, the man second to be interviewed is my nephew! He helped pull the driver out of the water!
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Jack-O-Lanterns; Old Problem, New Attitude
Anyone out there besides me love jack-o-lanterns? They are just THE Samhain/Halloween symbol for me! Unfortunately the area I live in has a long standing habit of smashing pumpkins. You design and carve for hours only to see your creations reduced to smush in the street. Definitely not the best trick or treat surprise and I eventually gave up on trying to have a jack-o-lantern. At first I tried going back to pagan roots and carved some turnips to replace the jack-o-lanterns. We'll just say the experience wasn't quite the same and leave it at that LOL And yeah, there's those foam plastic type that you can plug in but while those are convenient and safer inside it's just not a real pumpkin that you have carved. So, for a few years now there have been no orange grins on my porch and Samhain didn't have quite the glow and excitement I'd wish. I must be getting a bit wiser though, as the jack-o-lanterns will be returing this year and if they're smashed so much the better!
Why the big change? Hard telling, maybe like the song my attitude just changed. Maybe I've gotten older to the point of accepting that what I get of my wishes might be flawed or not all that I'd hoped for. Or maybe, just maybe, I've gotten clever . . . hehehe
This year my carving will be ritual based and centered on the theme of blessings and abundance. Each pumpkin will not only get a carved face but also a symbol that represents a blessing or hope I have for the year to come. The tealights that I burn in the jack-o-lanterns will be charged to match the symbol and when lit will fill the pumpkin with that energy. And best of all the spell will be set to build and build, releasing only when the pumpkin is smashed! = ) I might even look forward to seeing them covering the street and knowing that my hopes and wishes have been set into motion.
Why the big change? Hard telling, maybe like the song my attitude just changed. Maybe I've gotten older to the point of accepting that what I get of my wishes might be flawed or not all that I'd hoped for. Or maybe, just maybe, I've gotten clever . . . hehehe
This year my carving will be ritual based and centered on the theme of blessings and abundance. Each pumpkin will not only get a carved face but also a symbol that represents a blessing or hope I have for the year to come. The tealights that I burn in the jack-o-lanterns will be charged to match the symbol and when lit will fill the pumpkin with that energy. And best of all the spell will be set to build and build, releasing only when the pumpkin is smashed! = ) I might even look forward to seeing them covering the street and knowing that my hopes and wishes have been set into motion.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
New Year, New Technology
Facebook, Twitter, blogs! I must admit, I've fallen hopelessly behind the times! Each year I revamp my web site trying to keep things fresh and new, usually something that is a joy to me. This year however a friend, several friends actually, suggested I get my fanny in gear and begin a bit of social networking. Huh? I'm just not sure a social site is the place for Ainsling's Realm; I barely use my cell phone let alone Twitter and the concept of a blog just baffles me. I may love listening to myself but is anyone else really interested in what I had for breakfast or my latest rant? LOL I'm betting I'm not alone in these thoughts or in being a bit out of step with current technology either.
Seems to be the wave of the future though and if you're not on board with all the latest online gadgetry you're likely to be left coughing in the dust. So here goes, the first post to the new Ainsling's Realm blog! (Insert a very long pause here while I consider something pithy and meaningful to say.) If you've read the profile attached to this blog you're aware that Ainsling's Realm is an online school of Wicca and witch crafts as well as a few other semi-interesting facts so we can safely omit any introductions. If you didn't read it, well, why in the heck not? There we go - reading! That's a good a place to start with as any and likely relevant to this blog and others in the future.
Why don't we just read the information we're given to begin with?
Not just here on this blog but everywhere. Have you noticed that we seem to lack the ability or interest in reading information in our daily tasks? I had this pointed out to me recently when I traveled to Florida. There I am in the security line patiently waiting my turn and watching a harried security officer repeatedly yell the basic directions for going through the line. Now, these directions are posted clearly before you get into line and have been a constant source of both aggravation and discussion since the whole security issue went critical. Why then do so many of us 'forget' the directions or just fail to read them? Why is that poor woman yelling herself hoarse reminding us of the postings on the signs stating to remove our shoes and jackets, empty our pockets and take laptops out of cases?
Being bored waiting in that line I roughly timed how long it took for those not heeding the directions to back up, comply and go through the process again. On average, using the 'one Mississippi, two Mississippi method' movement through security was held up anywhere from 15 seconds to a full 3 minutes while the errant traveler fumbled around. Taking a median average of 1 minute 15 seconds for each traveler we're looking at a full hour added to our wait for each 60 people in line! If you multiply that times the thousands of people traveling through a given airport in a single day you'll arrive at the reason we now have to arrive super early for flights and stand in line endlessly! LOL
And it's not just traveling. How many of you, like me, have done business on the Internet and the email doesn't go through or the order isn't processed or some other glitch happens just because we haven't read the page first? That's a classic for me! LOL I use Firefox as a browser and can't count the number of times I've been frustrated over a site only to later notice a plainly stated requirement to view the page with Internet Explorer. And I know I've struggled and cussed on several occasions with a web page that refused to take my perfectly good user name and password only to find after 15 minutes of effort that it quite clearly stated to enter my email address LOL I'm old enough to remember the slightly PC incorrect joke about men never reading assembly instructions but it seems now as if the entire population has come down with this disease.
I'm lucky enough (said with much sarcasm) to live down the street from an elementary school. It's no surprise or even questionable that parents should want to pick up their little tots from school, I can deal with the traffic congestion; but why can't they read the posted parking signs? Every 20 feet stands an official sign with bright red letters designating the curb no parking and a fire lane. And every day there is a line of parents parked the length of the fire lane staring right at those signs LOL Btw, if you ask them they're not 'parking' as they are: 1. Waiting for their precious offspring, 2. Still have the engine running. 3. Are still in their vehicles or, the very best one 4. They won't be there long LOL Problem here is that it's a FIRE LANE. Blocking it means ambulances and fire trucks do not have room to access the street and parkers are putting people's lives at risk. Yep, it actually happened once!
So what do you think? Anyone else out there who, like me, has continued to push on the door clearly labeled pull or who's noticed this lack of ability to read basic directions on our collective part?
Seems to be the wave of the future though and if you're not on board with all the latest online gadgetry you're likely to be left coughing in the dust. So here goes, the first post to the new Ainsling's Realm blog! (Insert a very long pause here while I consider something pithy and meaningful to say.) If you've read the profile attached to this blog you're aware that Ainsling's Realm is an online school of Wicca and witch crafts as well as a few other semi-interesting facts so we can safely omit any introductions. If you didn't read it, well, why in the heck not? There we go - reading! That's a good a place to start with as any and likely relevant to this blog and others in the future.
Why don't we just read the information we're given to begin with?
Not just here on this blog but everywhere. Have you noticed that we seem to lack the ability or interest in reading information in our daily tasks? I had this pointed out to me recently when I traveled to Florida. There I am in the security line patiently waiting my turn and watching a harried security officer repeatedly yell the basic directions for going through the line. Now, these directions are posted clearly before you get into line and have been a constant source of both aggravation and discussion since the whole security issue went critical. Why then do so many of us 'forget' the directions or just fail to read them? Why is that poor woman yelling herself hoarse reminding us of the postings on the signs stating to remove our shoes and jackets, empty our pockets and take laptops out of cases?
Being bored waiting in that line I roughly timed how long it took for those not heeding the directions to back up, comply and go through the process again. On average, using the 'one Mississippi, two Mississippi method' movement through security was held up anywhere from 15 seconds to a full 3 minutes while the errant traveler fumbled around. Taking a median average of 1 minute 15 seconds for each traveler we're looking at a full hour added to our wait for each 60 people in line! If you multiply that times the thousands of people traveling through a given airport in a single day you'll arrive at the reason we now have to arrive super early for flights and stand in line endlessly! LOL
And it's not just traveling. How many of you, like me, have done business on the Internet and the email doesn't go through or the order isn't processed or some other glitch happens just because we haven't read the page first? That's a classic for me! LOL I use Firefox as a browser and can't count the number of times I've been frustrated over a site only to later notice a plainly stated requirement to view the page with Internet Explorer. And I know I've struggled and cussed on several occasions with a web page that refused to take my perfectly good user name and password only to find after 15 minutes of effort that it quite clearly stated to enter my email address LOL I'm old enough to remember the slightly PC incorrect joke about men never reading assembly instructions but it seems now as if the entire population has come down with this disease.
I'm lucky enough (said with much sarcasm) to live down the street from an elementary school. It's no surprise or even questionable that parents should want to pick up their little tots from school, I can deal with the traffic congestion; but why can't they read the posted parking signs? Every 20 feet stands an official sign with bright red letters designating the curb no parking and a fire lane. And every day there is a line of parents parked the length of the fire lane staring right at those signs LOL Btw, if you ask them they're not 'parking' as they are: 1. Waiting for their precious offspring, 2. Still have the engine running. 3. Are still in their vehicles or, the very best one 4. They won't be there long LOL Problem here is that it's a FIRE LANE. Blocking it means ambulances and fire trucks do not have room to access the street and parkers are putting people's lives at risk. Yep, it actually happened once!
So what do you think? Anyone else out there who, like me, has continued to push on the door clearly labeled pull or who's noticed this lack of ability to read basic directions on our collective part?
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