Electronic Challenges

Boy! Am I ever challenged!

Yesterday I decided to look up whether I had won anything on any of my lottery tickets from my birthday last Saturday.   Somehow I ended up in something that told me to download in order to see results (winning numbers). I hesitated to do so. I kind of remembered getting into trouble awhile back when I downloaded something and it entirely changed my toolbar and all kinds of other things I use every day. But-like a fool-I clicked on that download button. It took me to all kinds of pages and I just kept moving forward and complying…UGH! I hate when I comply when I just know that I shouldn’t be.

Well, I was right about my feelings-what a mess! I was so frustrated with the new look of my toolbar. I paid the price for about 20 minutes trying to figure out how to undo what I had downloaded.  I did eventually come to several places where they allow you and walk you through the process…but there were some instructions I did not entirely understand and, frankly, I was afraid to select anything when I came to those. So..I started looking at the toolbar and saw some things that were new and interesting. One was a drop down with radio stations….I thought, “Oh, that’s cool, I can listen to WHYY radio without having to think about looking for their link!”  So I fooled around for a few seconds and turned on some station which had 80’s hits…not MY favorite, but my partner was sitting right next to me and they ARE her favorite-she’s an 80’s girl in terms of music, anyway. So that was fun.

Then I realized that when I tried to open a new link, it took me into a MyWebSearch Home Page powered by Google. Now that was what took over my computer the last time I got into trouble and I hated that at the time. But this time after about 15 minutes of frustration, I realized that all of the icons for so many favorite places to visit were under the window…Facebook, You Tube, LinkedIn, CNN, Pinterest, ebay and others…so that seemed like fun!  I was starting to realize this might be a good thing.  I was annoyed that when I went to  open a new page,  it took me to the page I just mentioned instead of the Google home page. Then I realized that I still have my Google search window and that takes me to the Google home page.  That’s good, right? I still have access to Google’s  cute commemorative pictures!

So I guess I am writing today to tell you that you might want to try this…a new toolbar from MyWebSearch…It’s working for me and I am, frankly, quite delighted! Lots of what’s on here will make my life easier…so I am proud to say that I am learning to look for what might be good in the midst of my traumas.

Now on to the the next technological challenge…#?/%+^@#..wish me luck, I sure need it!

This is MeddlingMom….have a wonderful week…

Clergy fighting??? And politics-my take on it! Electronics gone awry!

This is pretty interesting! I am of Armenian ancestry so I found this particularly interesting.  It is  startling because I have usually found Greeks and Armenians to be somewhat kindred spirits because of their feelings toward Turkey.

Clergy Fights at the Church of the Nativity in Jerusalem-preparing for the upcoming eastern rite Christmas celebration. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45803523Clergy Fights at the Church of the Nativity in Jerusalem-preparing for the upcoming eastern rite Christmas celebration. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45803523

Now onto some politics and what is working and not working for Americans… With all of the great debates that have been going on to show us which Republican presidential candidate is the most fantastic…..the great thing is that there isn’t one viable presidential candidate in the bunch, at least not one has been presented yet. I just love it…are you going to tell me there isn’t one person in the party who doesn’t agree with waterboarding or who is pro-choice? I mean, moderate Republicans have no one to vote for! What people should be focusing on is the nasty members of congress who refuse to be concerned for this country and its people.  Where is our revolution?  The Occupy movement is doing it’s best but it needs everyone’s help.  We are all just a little too comfortable to be bothered, it seems.  Stores are closing left and right, the latest Sears closing many stores..and K MArt  ….that is pretty frightening.  Obama needs to do everything he can and not put up with  these nasty representatives and senators…The problem is that he is truly a community organizer, and he expects everyone to “play nice”. He keeps looking for the traitors to present their best  and act like patriots and they aren’t willing to be their best. Their goal is to get the Dem out of the White House. That’s their only goal.  I don’t know why the American people don’t see what a mess George Bush created and how nasty these people are and vote out those who are only there to fight.  I understand our system is designed so that there are opposites with competing ideals, but these jerks who don’t ever say anything about what Americans need should be thrown out.

We do also  need term limits, probably, but more than that we need the corporations and the lobbyists to have limited access…they should have as much access as you and I have…which is just about NONE….truly, if you look at the meeting schedules I can’t imagine who would even want the jobs these people have. they have no time to read a bill, much less to absorb it, debate it, understand the  nuance related to it.  And we need campaign finance reform and public ads so that everyone can have equal time…oh, and how about only 6 months of campaigning…isn’t that what they do in Europe?   Well, you heard my 2 cents’ worth!

Of course we are all exhausted from hearing all of the nonsense, but the real reason we aren’t involved is because Americans are  so busy communicating via e-mail, text message, twitter, facebook, voicemail, etc.  This is what we are truly interested in…escaping thinking about what is important and PLAYING….when is the last time you spent time playing a game with your child or having a conversation that was longer than 30 seconds even with your spouse?  When did you last spend time with a friend and leave your electronics in the car while you were in the restaurant, movie, hospital, salon, store, etc.?

Here is what Americans are all caught up in…giving kindles and expensive cell phones to 4 year olds! This is the new American value system…utterly insane!  And we will wonder why children who have too much stuff act like brats, want more, more, more no matter how much they have. Partially because their parents do.  Put away all electronics including movies and TV in your home for one week, except for one hour per day where everyone can use their “toys”. I wonder how different your conversations and relationships would be. I bet you might plan and cook a meal together…what a concept  or talk about how to get along with people. You might find out what is really of interest to your partner or your sister.

I bet you might suddenly find that you have time!

That’s all for today…thei si MeddlingMom…think about it…people are important…electronic toys are not…Happy New Year!

Related articles

• Greek Orthodox and Armenian clergy scuffle during annual Christmas cleaning (news.nationalpost.com)
• Video: Clergy brawl over cleaning of church in Bethlehem (calgaryherald.com)
• Clergy brawl in Bethlehem over Nativity scene (w/ video) (windsorstar.com)

Too much to do! and think about! ALWAYS!

I was wondering what to write about, what might interest people and I realized that in the course of a day or a week, I am exposed to so much information that I can barely breathe…much less figure out what to write about…..the problem is that I receive way too much e-mail from way too many organizations, individuals, stores and of course, there are those newsletters and blogs.  I am exhausted over the responsibility I feel to learn about everything, to be knowledgeable, to be up-to-date on current events (in this area I am waaaybehind) and to just feel like I have my head on straight!

Does anyone else feel this way or am I simply nuts? It seems daily living has become so complicated…the details of keeping up are mind-boggling.  I’ll give you an example:  I was online the other day looking at my bank accounts.  I saw a $3.00 fee for making too many transfers from one account to another in a month’s time (I made 3).  Let’s get real…these are ELECTRONIC transactions!!! Is there someone who has to do something about the transactions which would justify a fee?  Yes, I realize they have technicians who keep all of their computer systems running smoothly.  While on the phone, I asked one more time about the fee I pay monthly for having a checking account.  I was told if I had a direct deposit automatically into the account, I would have no fee.  Since I am self-employed and have a very small business, there is no check from payroll.  Then I was told if I wanted to have an electronic, paperless acoount, I could have it for free.  That would mean I would have to do all transactions at the ATM machine.  I usually use that for deposits anyway, but…I didn’t think to ask whether that meant I could no longer go to  a teller inside the bank or whether the restriction was only for the teller at the drive-up window…hmmm…..then again, I do stop and think about what a bargain it is to have the use of an account for just a few dollars (not as few as it used to be, I might add). Really, we Americans don’t realize how much we have!  Why should the account be free when the bank is providing a service…they should receive something, right?  I mean they have a  building and employees at the local branch, heat, electric, phones…they do have to pay for all of this…

I digress.  the point is that this is one little minor aspect of my life.  When did everything become so complicated? Was I asleep for 20 years?  Another thing that makes me insane…I purchased a camera recently…and a printer…the only thing that was included as far as instructions was the “Quick Guide”…no REAL information came with either of these items, nothing to tell me how to use the new item and the features  and how they work!  It’s unbelievable…they tell you to go online to their site and that’s where the information is! If you’re lucky, there is an actual manual that you can download…otherwise, there is all kinds of info, so much that it is damn near impossible to decipher which information you need to read to resolve your issue.  Remember, you are only on the site because you have no idea how to use the new item…all you really wanted was a manual in English that is clear and complete.

I can’t believe I am even burdening you with such nonsense, but the truth is…these “things” seem to take up so much time and energy!  Imagine if you were hard-of hearing and couldn’t hear the voice prompts?  Oh, dear, never thought of that before, but those days are probably coming…

I have no solution for this stuff, except to remember how lucky you are to be here and to have LIFE.  The truth is… being flexible and not taking life too  seriously is just about all you have available to deal with these situations. Being flexible in your thinking can help you to survive the crazy, over-stimulating world we live in today!  Just laugh or sing out loud and be sure to appreciate that you are speaking to a human on the phone, someone who is trying to help you…rather than a recording.

On another subject, I have started exercising in the mornings.  Did you know that ON DEMAND has exercise routines for free?  We’re talking … just about any kind you could imagine, yoga, core, dancing, and every aspect of these in as little time as 8 minutes.  They also have meditation in the same area.  This morning I did a Hip Hop session.  It was pretty basic, but it got  funny as one movement that was introduced simply didn’t work for me. It was one of those deals where you use one foot and leg and the reverse arm at the same time…quickly…I didn’t really focus too much on making it happen. I just kept moving (that’s the idea, right?) and I actually found myself laughing out loud at how bad I was with this one particular move!  Silly, but it was fun and I got in some exercise.  The challenge is to do a routine every day and to gradually add more time (and maybe some weights) to it.

It’s true, one of the few things you can count on is…CHANGE..so to be flexible in your thinking and to anticipate that adapting will be needed often in your life will make your life much easier…EXPECT to have to be flexible…The tree that bends weathers the storm….

This is MeddlingMom…have a great day!

Everyone Unite! Electronics..make up for kids…not GOOD!

Okay we have 6 year old children who want cell phones and go to concerts (not Mozart!) I heard recently that Walmart is now carrying a makeup line for 8 to 12 year olds.  When George Stephanopoulos says his daughters wear a little makeup (blush? who needs blush at 8 years old?) Are people crazy? Have we lost our minds?  I admit my offspring are well-grown, but I am not antiquated in my thinking, I believe.  The last time I looked around, it still made sense to decide what you believe in and what your values are, i.e.: what is good for your child and his/her development and to calmly and responsibly instill those values in your children. Yes, there will be conflict along the way. That is normal when raising one’s children. It is to be expected, not necessarily avoided. We need to have conversations with our children in order to teach them how to sort out facts, emotions, wants, needs and to teach them how to make sound decisions.

Let’s look at a very real situation. Would you allow your 2 year old to play in the street? If you would, you can stop reading  this right now. Clearly it is your job as a parent to protect your child.  Each parent has to decide what makes sense and what has value and specifically for each person based on age, temperament, interests and a variety of other factors.  I realize that electronics are exciting; they make noises, have buttons to push, pictures change sometimes without the user doing anything. They are truly fascinating and many of us are addicted. So why wouldn’t our children think that  electronics were thrilling and essential to their lives?  They are exposed from birth and shown that these items are IMPORTANT to us (oftentimes more important than our children are!)  Children don’t know why your phone is important to you, just that it is.  Have you seen a 7 month old holding a cell phone, ready to send a text message? I have!  That baby knows exactly how to hold the phone!  We teach infants to be addicted to electronics…have you thought about that lately?  Have you been to a restaurant lately? Have you watched the dynamics at the tables around you? Adults and children are looking DOWN at their phones, texting or e-mailing on other technology….or children are playing hand-held games…I ask you, why are these people out together…they certainly ARE NOT together in any way other than physically…there is no conversation…when did we get so bored with each other? and with life?

I ask you to take a look around today…observe your surroundings and your own behavior…notice the moms walking down the street with toddlers…paying not one bit of attention to those children…rather mom is in an active conversation (oftentimes a lengthy one) with an adult on her phone or blackberry or whatever the newest toy is…what is the message…the very clear message to those children is “YOU ARE NOT IMPORTANT; I WILL BE WITH YOU, BUT I WILL NOT BE ENGAGED WITH YOU BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT VERY INTERESTING”.  You can react by thinking I am being ridiculous; I would say that if you feel that way, perhaps you see yourself in the scenarios I describe.

Forget about the value or non-value of any technology. That really isn’t the point. The point is –  what is the value of the people who are physically with you? Are they nothing, is that what you want them to believe? The person you are with is more important than almost 100% of the messages you are receiving electronically. Yesterday was Valentine’s Day.  Think about those who you say are important  to you and put that interest into action.  Call your loved ones, actually listen to them and don’t jump when you see that you have a text message or a phone call.  Listen as your child tells you a story about what happened today. Think about whether your relationships have any real value. Add quality by adding yourself and being present. The only thing of value you can really give people is YOUR TIME. Time is what makes people understand that they are important to you.

Two weeks ago a 10 year old boy fell onto the tracks in New York; he was busy playing a hand-held game.  Luckily he was rescued and unharmed…People die every year from looking at their electronics instead of where they are going.

And while you are at it, if you are one of those who still thinks they can text while driving, 6000 people  each year die from idiots like you. If you have to use your phone, pull off the road and make your call or send your text.  Save a life-it might be your own.

To see what one amazing college student did to make a difference and how you can help by recycling your cell phones, click on

amazing college student or check out www.SaveOne.net.

This is MeddlingMom…think about it…what do you want in your life? Make it happen!

Love the one you’re with!