rajafacesbothways

Upstream Swimmer

Catman sent me a preview of the upcoming Apple OS10 Mountain Lion--making my almost three-year-old laptop seem ancient. I wish they'd just STOP so I can catch up a little, little bit.

Soon, if not already, there is no reason to see anything in the world outside of a rectangular screen--unless you are in a car and looking out of the rectangular window.

As for me--I 'm still going around in circles.

What Would Steve Do?

Went to the Apple Store to correct a glitch on my laptop--could not open a new folder. Surprisingly, not a simple correction but the members of the "genius bar" solved it.

If Steve Jobs had lived would he eventually have developed a devise to transfer info from the young brains who grasp all the technology into old brains like mine--who struggle grasping with unfamiliar concepts? I DON'T want to know about the other stuff going on in twenty-somethings brains---been there-- awwwkkkk--but the technology that comes naturally to them would be great.

I bet he would have come up with an app to do that. And I would have been sooooo grateful.

 

New Toy

Feel soo cool. Brother Catman got the latest IPhone and sent me his IPhone 3. At this point am keeping hands off until I go to Chicago next week where I'll be surrounded with tekkies to help me set it up.

I know. I should figure it out myself. Forget it. I know how to make things look pretty but don't know how to make anything work without a struggle--except my car and my camera.

Besides, that attitude has worked for southern belles for centuries.

 

In My Face

Recently I dipped my toes into the stew of Facebook. Reasons being--exploring what it is and refusing to congeal with the thinking of some of my peers who rigidly avoid almost anything involving the internet.

I revealed only my name, sex, and photography interest to appear on my page. I have no desire to find people and only listed a few family members, a friend in England and one in Montana. Suddenly a list of hundreds of those I might remember appeared, many of whom I do/did know.

WOW! "How do it (Facebook) know that?"

After roughly determining how it works and tapping into a few faces, I found that I enjoyed photos sent from Chicago and from a grandson in Spain. The rest had all the charms of People Magazine for me--the value equal to killing time while waiting for a haircut at the hairdresser.

First impressions are not always correct; I'll stick with it for awhile. As the optimistic kid said while digging through the piles of horse manure, "There's gotta' be a pony in there somewhere."

 

A Religious Experience?

I now have WiFi so 10-10-10 did offer miracles. Okay. "Miracle" is too dramatic a word. However getting instant connection is like reaching into a Cracker Jack box and pulling out a prize every time. I can't believe what was lacking in my life.(kinda like a nun discovering sex?!)

With dial-up I would  sometimes insert a photo into my blog and take a shower while it was downloaded. (raised as a Lutheran I was taught that adversity was good for the soul). Having now discovered instant gratification, my main problem is to avoid addiction.

I have seen the light and it's on my computer screen.

 

 

Time Warp

Scheduled a free session at the Apple Store with a teckie to clear up some problems with my computer and answer some questions about organizing all the slides I've been scanning. Have completed Oregon, Alaska and most of the Arctic, but much more of the world awaits. Been there, saw that, and wonder why I bother saving them--except the polar bears are becoming a vanishing breed and when else will I ever get to a Potlatch?

Joined three friends for a drive along Lake Erie and a dinner of Lake Erie perch. Have known them since first grade, when the only technical devise around was a party-line telephone. And my family didn't even have that!

Learning Experience

Before and after meeting a cousin for lunch, I got involved with my new Canon printer/scanner that does everything but press my clothes. It is very user friendly, but I get confused  with which end of a peppermill grinder to direct toward my food so this is not easy for me. Catman is being patient but also appeared shell shocked when he saw my illogical and incorrect approach to anything mechanical.

Got a roll of b/w Ilford 200 Film Noir et Blanc which is supposedly the closest film available to infrared. Will give it a try--was told it is not as good as infrared but closer than any other b/w film. We'll see.

In The Fast Lane

I've thrown in, if not the towel at least the washcloth, on trying to get on-line in a reasonable time with dial-up. I can download a photo, take my shower and it might possibly be on the screen when I've toweled down. I have a viable reason for maintaining dial-up in my loft.Really.

The solution--go tp the library or get a cup of coffee at the Lock and Key, a few doors down from my loft. It isn't Paris, but this is as close as I can get to sitting outside, sipping a latte, watching the natives and instant (laptop) gratification.

Deep Throat

My 12-year-old answering machine refused to take messages, so I had to purchase a new one--along with a phone since they now come in a co-dependent unit.  I got it connected but since I suffer from "TFDS"
 ( technical function disinterest syndrome) I haven't bothered with direct dialing, setting the time and date, or putting my own voice message on the machine.
 A deep voiced sexy sounding male asks you to leave a message, enhancing my actual life style for those who don't know better. He can be anyone I want so imagine George Clooney here on a stopover to see his Kentucky kin.
So if a man answers, don't hang up --just leave a message. One of us will get back to you later.

Web-Savvy

Trying to at least understand more of the Internet culture, I've been reading articles to become more web savvy. Sigh! It's like watching the train pull away without me and knowing there will not be another one arriving.

Obviously I "get" blogging and know how to Google. But even 90+ year-old reporter/commentator Daniel Shore knows how to Twitter. My research has unearthed --twitter.com/widgets/, Facebook, Digsby,Twitterific, tweetcall/spreadtweet, tweet beeb.com. MiFi2200, Internetmemes, the list goes on like a textbook in a foreign language.

Hard to believe I was one of the first to get a Mac laptop--before color printing was available. If I had died then, I would have died savvy. The trade off--not being connected to the web world makes more time available for listening to the chimney swifts tweet.

And they can communicate their tweeting while doing loops, dives, and flying at full speed. And with no monthly payments or fees.

I can't decide if life is enriched or depleted by this new world of technology.