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Ways I'm Still Low-Tech

5/30/2015

I must confess that despite my love for technology, there are some areas where I still go low-tech. Yes, I touted the benefits of upgrading as much as possible, but there are some areas where it doesn’t pay (or rather, I prefer not to pay) to upgrade. For example:

Radio. Don’t get me wrong – I love satellite radio. I know people who have it and adore it. The thing is; I have a short daily commute. I life 15 minutes from my office, and rarely travel by car like I used to. It’s not worth it for me to pay for upgraded radio service, especially when I have options to stream radio through iTunes or other free apps at home. And as for work, my FM/AM radio is sufficient to keep me happy.

Gaming Systems. We have an XBX360 that Rick played for a while, but haven’t kept up with it. Rick likes the role playing games, mainly Star Wars, and the gaming systems don’t really do these anymore. Most of them are online or can be done on the computer easier. I don’t play many games, but occasionally I enjoy board games like Monopoly, or card games like UNO or Solitaire, which are usually available as free or inexpensive apps. Neither of us do much gaming, so it’s not worth it to upgrade.

Kitchen Equipment and Appliances. Basic is fine for us because frankly, neither of us enjoys cooking. Why invest in top of the line appliances when all you want is to get the meal on and off the table as quickly and easily as possible?

Exercise Equipment. We did recently invest in the T25 system, which appealed to us because it’s an intensive workout that doesn’t require a lot of time or equipment. We wore out our last treadmill and got a stationary bike last summer to replace it, but we got both of those from family members that upgraded their own equipment.

Paperback books. While I prefer ebooks, I also love bookstores, so I occasionally do get paperbacks. Plus, paperbacks are good for reading on airplanes, because you can keep reading when the electronics are supposed to be shut down. I also don’t count out an occasional magazine, although my one and only magazine to Writer’s Digest is through the digital edition.

Midland NOAA Weather Radio. Yes, I know there are apps that give you the weather, and I use them. I just love my weather radio! I grew up with one in our home, and I listen to it every morning while I get dressed for work. Plus, I usually find that when The Weather Channel and NOAA differ, NOAA is closer to what actually happens. I really wish that the official NOAA app would service Columbia, SC, because I’d spend $5 on that app. But at least I have my trusty friend, the radio! Zack and Chloe even expect to hear their “friend” give them the forecast every day, and they’ll squawk at me if I’m too slow turning it on when the time comes to get ready for the day.

Newspaper. Ok, we don’t read it. My parents give me their newspapers, and I use them to clean Zack and Chloe’s cages. Now that’s efficient recycling!

So see, I don’t blindly follow the trends. I do consider what works and what doesn’t, and I’m not afraid to mix old and new every now and then.

That’s all today. Take care, and have a great weekend.

Bye!

How Did Things Happen Before Technology?

5/28/2015

Not quickly or gracefully, that's for sure! I don’t know how we did some things before computers and smartphones. Oh sure, we managed, but in retrospect it was painfully slow to get things done. In many ways, computers make life so much easier that I don’t know why there are people that resist them. In fact, there have been times when I didn’t know how we got things done before technology made it possible.

One good example: real estate. I don’t know how my parents built their home before cell phones, because mine rang all the time while we built ours in 2007. Ditto for refinancing. I get calls at the oddest times, where people probably wouldn’t have been able to reach me if I didn’t have a cell phone with me. That’s the power of time zones and alternate work schedules! Seriously, how did anybody build, buy, sell, or refinance a home before cell phones, because you’re on call all the time – and, of course, a delay in taking the call results in a delay in getting it done.

Another example: writing novels. There’s no way I’d be a novelist if I had to peck it out on a clunky typewriter. I’m sure our garbage cans/recycle bins also appreciate not having the countless wads of crinkled up paper littering them, thanks to the handy “delete” key, back and forward keys, and save buttons. I hear there are some people that actually write their first drafts longhand and then type them. No way! My laptop is my best friend, and I type everything in there from rough draft to final draft. I can type faster than I can handwrite, and frankly, it’s faster and easier. I have nothing but respect for writers that came before computers and were patient enough to deal with the old ways, but as for me, I’m all about tech.

Administrative work falls along these same lines. Nothing made me happier than that day nearly five years ago when I moved to a department that digitizes all files. I’ve established the benefits of the speed of computers, but they’re also great for file storage. And folks, paper sucks. It cuts your fingers, takes up space, and holds dust and all kinds of other microbes that aggravate the sinuses. Plus, it’s slow, inefficient, and the least secure method of file management. Seriously, the only thing paper is good for with me is cage cleaning. Mail seems to run slower and slower, while electronic payments, email and text messages come in just fine in fractions of seconds. Goodbye, file cabinets and stamps. Hello, digital revolution.

How did we entertain ourselves before streaming video services made it possible to binge watch entire seasons of television shows, or movie marathons? Come on, folks. Don’t tell me you actually miss Blockbuster. You know having to return it by the deadline gave you headaches.

And finally – hey kids, do you have any idea how heavy our bookbags got before we could carry those lean tablets or laptops with all of our books and work loaded on them? I had to carry books and notebooks in mine. It was a workout, especially if you’re classes were across campus from one another and you didn’t have time to go to your locker. Oh yea, there were no lockers in college, so you just had to carry everything you needed for the day with you everywhere, all day. Ouch. Even now, I still love ebooks. I rarely buy hardbacks. Why bother, when I can store whatever I want to read on my phone, and read it anytime and anyplace I have the opportunity? Save the trees. Save the earth. And save yourself from carrying an unnecessary load!

Yes, we managed before technology, but you have to admit that the digital revolution has made life easier, more convenient, faster moving, and even a bit more graceful than it was before. Who needs the headaches (and backaches) of the old ways? I can’t imagine why anybody is resisting this stuff.

That’s all today. Take care. Have a happy Friday tomorrow and a wonderful weekend.

Bye!

Indie Author Summer!

5/25/2015

Ah, summer! The perfect time to dive into some good, fun reading. This summer, I'm embarking on a journey to discover the hidden gems of the publishing world: indie authors. I'll be reading scifi and mystery ebooks from indie authors from now through Labor Day (at least).

Indie authors get a bad rap, and part of it is well deserved. After all, anybody can self publish a book for free now, and they there isn't as much editing, proofreading, or formatting work done on self published works as there is from the books coming from the big publishers. Unfortunately, this has led to a stereotype that all ebooks or self published books are low quality or poorly written.

By and large, this isn't true. Yes, some lemons do seep into the mix, but the truth is that this can happen as well in the traditional publishing world. There's no way to anticipate what readers want, or when the trends will shift. As such, people with fresh, new ideas and approaches are often passed over not because of lack of quality or merit, but because of lack of confidence in the big decision makers, forcing them to give up or self publish. Thankfully, more are going the second route, and giving readers a golden opportunity to discover new voices and ideas that they would have never had a chance to know even 5 or 10 years ago.

I can testify to this. Move, my paranormal mystery novel, was passed over by one of my epublishers. They weren't comfortable with mixing paranormal with mystery, because their beta readers didn't know what to make of it - it simply wasn't as clear as mixing paranormal with romance, which is very popular right now. They asked me to rewrite the novel without the paranormal element. I thought about it, but it didn't take me long to realize that there was no way to remove the djinn from the book and keep it as the same novel that I wanted it to be. I elected to self publish it as it was - and Move has been my best selling title since I released in in February 2013! I actually wrote and self published a sequel, Obsidian, in October.

My mission this summer is to find more of these novels. The ones that take new directions. The ones that take chances. The ones with vision that they know belongs on your digital shelf whether the "big time" publishers and agents agree or not. I'm bringing these to you this summer. Keep an eye here and on social media through Goodreads, Twitter, and Facebook for my reviews of these treasures. Who knows? You and I might open our eyes to magic that we didn't know existed!

Up now: Exodus, Book 1 of The Exodus Trilogy, by Andrea Christensen. I've read the first three chapters, and I'm hooked. The only reason I haven't read more is because my time has been more limited than I anticipated this weekend.

Get Sassy!

5/21/2015

I've been getting sassy today. It started with dragging this morning. I'm not sure why, but I couldn't get going. When I finally pulled myself together, I noticed one more thing: it's trash pick up day, and boy did it need to be put out. I sighed, and then it hit me:

I'm not going to be defeated by trash! No way! And I mean that in both the literal and figurative way!

It was a much needed breakthrough, and a turning point. I not only got the garbage put out, but I decided that my toppling "to do" list wasn't going to bury me, either. Oh yes, it's overwhelming. Memorial Day is coming, and you know what a holiday means: what I refer to as "invisible deadlines" where everybody is suddenly in a hustle to do things they've been loitering over for weeks. Vacation time! Time to clear off the desk and to do list!

For you, maybe. For me, well, the reaper isn't standing in the corner threatening to take the scythe after me, so I got time. And if it's been sitting this long, what's one more hour, day, or week. I haven't been mean about it. I'm trying very hard not to do that anymore - but I'm not afraid to get stern and tell people that hey, I was prodding you three weeks ago for a reason. Now, we're at it. I could hurry then; I can't hurry now. Inconvenient reality.

Another inconvenience is diets. Diets. Hmm. Good God, ya'll. What are they good for? Something, I hope, even though the feral cats don't agree and meowed at me loudly for throwing out more lean portions today. "Hey, it's food," I told the cat, "and when my writing hits big, I need to look better for my interviews at ComicCon!" Look at that; I'm proclaiming my destiny to a cat.

Round 2 starts next week. My doctor cleared me to start the exercise program Rick and I chose next week, so that'll be really interesting. Funny thing, though, is that I do better with exercise than with diets. Even though it's a beating, I do usually feel better when I exercise, and I also tend to write more and better when I exercise (and sleep better, too). The thing about diets is that I don't like thinking about everything I eat. There are too many other things you have to think about, and even more things I'd rather think about, like home, writing, reading, birds, and rouge planets smashing into Mars. That's what the book I'm planning to start reading soon is about. And the concept is more interesting than fish and broccoli.

It's alright. Actually, I'm here to tell you that it's fine to get sassy and a little selfish every now and then. You have to take care of yourself and stand up for what's realistically possible for you. There are only 24 hours in a day, and by golly, if you're working and paying bills and your taxes, then you have a right to order those hours right. So do it, and don't forget to take care of yourself. You have to. Nobody else will, it's ultimately your responsibility anyway, and you're no good to people if you break down anyway. Doing yourself a favor every now and then is doing others a favor, whether they realize and appreciate it or not.

So there you have it.

That's all today. Take care. Have a Happy Friday tomorrow and a safe and wonderful Memorial Day weekend.

Bye!

Advice for Graduates

5/18/2015

Ah, it's graduation season, where we turn legions of young new graduates out of the school doors and into the world. It's an exciting time of open doors and a life filled with opportunity. Whether you're heading for college, work, military, or elsewhere in life, here's some advice you totally didn't ask for, but I'm giving it to you anyway. And frankly, some of us veterans of reality could probably use a reminder on these things too!

1. Decide right here and right now that you're going to be yourself, no matter who has a problem with it. Sad but true, people will take advantage of the fact that you're young and trying to find your place in the world. Specifically, they'll tell you that you're idealistic and try to squeeze you into a mold that fits their purpose for life, but holds absolutely no benefit for you. Stand firm, and be yourself. When the end comes and we stand in judgement, we won't be asked why we weren't this or that to win the approval of this person or that person. We'll be asked why we weren't ourself. Avoid the question, and decide to be yourself, ideals and all, right now, and forever more.

2. Learn discernment. Or rather, sharpen your intuition. It's telling you things for a reason, and you'd be well advised to heed it. The good, old fashioned common sense that will help you to learn from your experiences is what we older folks refer to as "the school of hard knocks," because this is the kind of skills and knowledge that you don't find in books or classrooms. You aren't done learning - rather, you've evolved to a new kind of learning. Now you learn from experience - both your own, and other peoples'. Mine it for all it's worth. There's no substitute for being able to assess a situation quickly and move based on being able to trust your gut - and the older you get, the more important this is.

3. Pick your battles strategically. You could spend your whole life in battle. People are always going to challenge you. That's part of being an adult with a mind and a will of your own - people will try to sway it to their own good instead of what's best.

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Ways I'm Still Low-Tech

How Did Things Happen Before Technology?

Indie Author Summer!

Get Sassy!

Advice for Graduates

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