Saturday, October 16, 2010

The $11.99 Solution

Problem (see below) solved. Bought a new clock radio.

Doesn't blink. Calm restored.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

The Clock Flashes At Midnight

It is 11:59 p.m. I am waiting for the clock to advance to 12 midnight. And when it does, it flashes as if we have had a power loss. But the power is constant, no loss. Is my clock confused? Is it flashing a warning of ...what? ETs? DTs? SSTs (they're obsolete), LSDs? (Now there's a thought!).

The strange thing is it continues to keep correct time, but it also continues to flash. If I reset it to 11:59 it jumps to 12:00 and starts flashing. So I reset it to 12:01 and it stops flashing. So now I am one minute ahead of the correct time.

This has been going on for months and while I see no solution in sight, I also am not too concerned about it, although it can be annoying.

I started this blog about being puzzled by the plethora of modern gizmos and their insistence we be in constant contact with everyone at every moment.

But this is a throwback. A radio clock running amok? An artifact of an ancient age trying to run with the blackberrys, the droids, etc.?

Give it a rest, clock. Just tell me the right time.

##

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Where's my Follower?

Ok, here's a new one. My younger son lives in Israel. Occasionally he views my blog. I invited him to become a "follower" of my blog. We love to have followers. How does he do that? I've been able to find his comment on a previous blog, but he hasn't been able to see it. Nor does he know whether it's been posted or not. Is this confusing or what?

I thought this was supposed to be easy. But it's getting more complicated as we go along. I love to share my thoughts on the modern world with the old world but we seem to have hit a disconnect. Can I blame it on the Icelandic volcano? Probably not.

Can anyone help?

Monday, April 19, 2010

The Irellevants

I am finally reconciled that I am irrelevant. The TV networks are not interested in what I watch, although I am devoted to certain of their more entertaining programs, not reality shows, however, which are anything but realistic. How can you produce a "reality" show that requires proper lighting, camera positions and other technical set-ups to capture the proper framing for the "conflict."

It's all bogus as far as I'm concerned and people who watch so-called reality shows are just kidding themselves.

Advertisers certainly aren't interested in me although my disposable income no doubt exceeds that of the most distressed holder of a toxic mortgage.

And the high tech world is totally confusing to me. Last week's NYTimes had so much information on a totally mind-boggling array of new devices and apps that I can't imagine anyone really needing. I just threw the whole section away, which I do anyway when its recycling day.

So I don't tweet, facebook, Youtube or otherwise clutter up the internet with useless information. Except my occasional blog. Oh, and now one of my granddaughters wants me to join her on something called Hi5. Sounds like a branch of the British Secret Service. I'm waiting for her to tell me what Hi5 is before I commit.

So all this makes me irrelevant, right? Right.

Yours until next time.

Limbclimber

Monday, March 15, 2010

Not-so-full Disclosure

Ok, here it is, partial disclosure:

I am writing this blog for FUN. I'm not trying to "build a brand" or "monetize" and if you enjoy reading my blog that's fine. More disclosure: I'm 79 years old, retired and just trying to keep up the best I can.

Frankly, I am astounded at what appears to me to be the frantic need, urge, desire, impulse of people to be in constant touch with someone else, whether for business, pleasure or just plain nosiness. I will not tweet. I was coaxed into creating a Facebook page but I rarely look at it. I email frequently and use the phone when necessary.

Yes, I have opinions but I seriously wonder if anyone really cares what I think. If you do, here's a new thought: Republicans must think most Americans are stupid; Democrats think most Americans are smart. Both are wrong. We ARE dumb enough in some cases to believe the revisionist history being peddled by GOP partisans; We may be SMART enough in some cases to understand what the Obama adminstration is trying to do, but it wouldn't hurt if they could spell it out in plain English.

That's enough for now. Going to Florida for a week to play golf. See you later.

Cheers.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Sounding Off?

I just read something on line which reinforces my desire not to become one of those persons who sounds off about everything. OK, every once in a while a subject I actually think I know something about gets my goat but I try to resist the temptation to become one of those people who thinks the whole world is waiting for their opinion. See, I'm sounding off even when I'm writing about resisting sounding off.

In this wired world it seems everyone who reads, sees or hears something they feel strongly about has to let everyone else know their opinion about it.

Do they ever ask, as I'm asking now, who gives a hoot what you think about anything?
I've discovered over and over again that most people really don't care what YOU have to say, but are convinced you are fascinated by their opinons about EVERYTHING.

Still listening?

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

My List

Some time ago I made a list of titles of books I thought I'd write. I just reviewed the list. I'm not writing any of them. They've probably all been written by now. And probably better than I could write them. Or not. In any case, we'll never know.
I'm starting a new list.

Monday, March 8, 2010

The Plagiarism Plague, and more

Clark Hoyt is the Public Editor of the New York Times, sort of a peeping-over-the-shoulder-Tom on behalf of you and me, the readers. This past Sunday he looked into the case of Zachery Kouwe, a Times business reporter who resigned after he was accused of plagiarizing from the Wall Street Journal.

What's worse, the inquiry showed he had lifted copy from other news sources. And who were those news other sources? Why on-line sources. Who in his right mind believes anything you read on-line. Most of it, in my humble opinion is rumor, opinion and unsubstantiated.

This is what "journalism" has come to: in trying to be the first with anything, or at least not the last, once responsible news organizations chase after every item that may, emphasize may, be really newsworthy. Unfortunaltely, again in my opinion, most of it is garbage.

What bothers me most, however, is the New York Times attitude toward all this stuff. As a former journalist, (25 years with newspapers, UPI and CBS) and then as a consultant to business and professional people in how to deal with the media, the Times' attitude toward correcting examples of plagiarisim is abhorrent.

They may print a correction. Does anyone read corrections? I doubt it. What's worse, when Mr. Hoyt asked Philip Corbett, the paper's standards editor, if Kouwe's plagiarized material would be appended in their archives, Mr.Corbett, according to Mr. Hoyt, responded "the paper was not inclined to flag them, partly because there were some clear-cut cases and others that were less clear."

This is a total abrogation of responsibility in my view. When counseling business and professional people, one of the cardinal rules I stressed was that if there were errors in the stories that resulted from their interview, the errors should be corrected not only in the closest edition of the paper but also in the archives.

It doesn't take a genious to realize that some future researcher, calling up an article containing errors of plagiraized material, will assume that what he or she is reading is accurate and original reports when, in fact, it not only may be incorrect but also plagiarized material as well.

Sadly, this is not the New York Times I grew up with. I pass on to all of you the caution I gave to my oldest grandson when he graduated college: "Question everything."

We need to remember that.

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Got Apps?

Not yet. Still working on it. My Ipod is so outdated all it does is play music.
Stay tuned.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Next: Cake and Cookies

Heard about the Coffee Party? The antithesis of the Tea Party? Sounds good, to me. But I just might hold out for the "Cake and Cookie Party." And, oh yes, make mine decaf, please.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Corned Beef and Flowers

We went to the Philadelphia Flower show today. It was overwhelming. The garden displays were imaginative and glorious. We walked our legs off but managed to totter to the Reading Terminal Market across the street where the corned beef and potatoe knishes won blue ribbons in the category of delicatessus deliciosus. That's Latin for Yum.

Cheers.

Monday, March 1, 2010

Clueless in Washington

I save newpaper clippings for some time thinking I might actually need them for something at a later date. Well, I just threw out two of them because either I'm tired of looking at them or they're no longer useful. But one item still rankles enough for me to comment on.

From the New York Times, Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009 (did I say I was a pack rat?):

The headline reads: "In House Record, Many Spoke with One Voice: The Lobbyists."

In this case the lobbyists were from Genentech and they were smart enough to craft one statement for Republicans and one for Democrats. The issue was health care but I'm more concerned with how willing our representatives are to accept statements on face value and enter them into the Congressional Record under their own name.

So why did I save this article? Because MY CONGRESMAN, Bill Pascrell Jr., (D-NJ), was one of those who blithely entered the Genentech statement into the Record under his name.

When this was pointed out to Mr. Pascrell, the NYTimes reports him saying he got the statement from his staff and: "did not know where they got the information from." I don't suppose he thought to ask them, did he?

Is it any wonder lobbyists control the Congress?

Sunday, February 28, 2010

The Gallstone Report

A committee headed by Dr. Bernard Gallstone of the Combined Nations United Against a Certain Democratic Country in the Middle(Chaotic)East, (CNUACDCME) reported today that the Mossad obviously was responsible for the recent assassination of a Hamas leader in Dubai. The committee's conclusion was based entirely on information supplied by the Dubai authorities, known informally as the Dubiouses. This was sufficient evidence for Dr. Gallstone to issue another charge that Israel as the sole source of trouble in the area.
The report was hailed by all parties in the area for its accuracy and integrity.
Dr. Gallstone was last seen wearing a wig, false teeth and carrying a hockey stick to avoid reporters seeking further comment.

Saturday, February 27, 2010

Snowstorm, Feb. 2010

As you can see we had a mooseful of snow these past few days, upwards of a foot or more. The moose is a front yard ornament that is about three feet or so high, half of which is buried in snow.
It took a day for us to emerge from the house and rejoin society, but all seems quiet now.
Let's hope so.
Cheers, all.

Friday, February 26, 2010

S'No kidding!

Well, we're up to our pupiks in snow this morning. Gearing up to try to dig out a little while waiting for our "service" to finish the job.
Haven't seen the paper today (if it was delivered) so can't comment on anything yet. Still having morning coffee.
Cheers, all.

Thursday, February 25, 2010

What Just Happened Here?

I hopped in and out of the big Health Care Open House today. I can hardly wait to hear and read all the interpretations of what actually happened. All I heard was a lot of you say toe-MAH'-to and I say toe-MAY'-to with the GOP chorusing "Let's Call The Whole Thing Off."
Anyone know the second stanza?
Cheers, all

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

I'm Depressed (at the moment)

I'm reading John Farmer's book, "The Ground Truth," subtitled "The Untold Story of America Under Attack on 9/11" and I just shake my head at virtually every sentence. If we think Congress is dysfunctional, Farmer makes our intelligence (an oxymoron if ever there was one) apparatus pre-and probably-post 9/11 absolutely non compos mentis.
It's not that individuals didn't know what they were doing it's that no one knew what anyone else was doing and probably still don't. And while the guys at the top made high-sounding pronouncements about new missions in the post-cold-war world,the guys in the trenches ignored them.
I don't want to discourage anyone from reading this worthwhile book (I'm still into it) but isn't it beginning to sound familiar?
The President says we must modernize our health care system. So what happens? Instantly,the Republicans object and the Democrats, despite huge majorities in both houses of Congress fall all over themselves trying to appease their various factions. Result: zip, zilch, nada.
Tomorrow (as Scarlett would say) is another day; the President's big Open House day.
Republicans say they will attend but have already lowered expectations of agreeing to anything.
Best case scenario: The President shows them up for the obstructionists they are and lights a fire under the Democrats to DO SOMETHING about improving our health care system.
I wish I could be optimistic.
Stay tuned.
Cheers, all.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Dry Hole

Greetings followers:
Nothing much to say right now but the rules are I have to blog or I can't play spider solitaire. May try again later.
Cheers.

Monday, February 22, 2010

Technology vs. spelling

Today's post features the battle between technology and spelling. Recently,I ordered theater tickets over the phone and gave the operator my email address. She said I would receive the tickets within 24 hours. Two days later I called to find out where the tickets were. She said she'd send them again. No tickets. At this point we agreed I'd just pick them up at the box office on the day of performance. Calling two days ahead to make sure they'd be there, a different operator explains I didn't get the tickets via email because the sender spelled verizon wrong.

Spelling trumps technology.

By the way, it was a great show: "Time Stands Still." See it.

Sunday, February 21, 2010

I'm back (it's about time)

Ok, here's the deal...I am not allowed to play a game of spider solitaire until I post something on my blog. That, along with pure laziness, is what has kept me silent all these months.

Not that I have conquered any of the technologies that have baffled me from the start of this blog. In fact, at the suggestion of an early adapter, I just threw out a flash drive that refused to work on my PC. It kept telling me I had to have authorization from "the administrator" to proceed to store some data. But I AM the administrator (or so I thought). In any case, out it went and I'll probably buy another one and try again.

Meantime, try as I might to refrain from commenting on politics and apologizers, it is impossible to resist. The targets are just too rich. C'mon,Tiger,get back on the course. And,I'm still waiting to hear, read, or see what the Tea Partiers WANT. We know what they don't want -- anything -- as long as the media keeps giving them air time to vent.

Can't wait for the Obama Open House on health care. Should be a gas.

Can I play spider solitaire now?

See you tomorrow.