HIT COUNTERS:

03-25-03

Hit Counters. Do you use them? Do you trust their numbers? Do they ever quit working for a few days, and then mysteriously start up again? Oh, yeah. I have some that take a week-end off about once a month, usually its a long week-end.

I become agitated, and check again and again to see if they are working. I replaced one of them last night. I fired it, and have another on probation. Of course, the rest began work again this morning. I guess the strike is over for awhile.

I won't negotiate, if they won't work, they are gone. Just like real life.

My numbers don't add up. When I go to my page account site, it says I received 90 hits yesterday. My counters don't show that many.

Another thing, when I was just a surfer, I didn't realize the importance of leaving a message on the guest book. Letting them know I was there, and how did I find their site. But now that I know, I leave my visiting card. But, very few leave a message on mine.

I don't know how I can change that, probably can't. It could be that the visitors are like I used to be. They just don't realize that it is important to the site owner. But web ringers should. Web ringers are a community. If one site does well, don't they all benefit? In the words of Martha Stewart, "Its a good thing".

The people who sign my guest book, leave their website URL, and I always visit them, and tell them thanks. It is called being considerate, but I find I usually do enjoy their pages.

April 18, 2003

WHAT ABOUT FREE DOWNLOADS?

Free download. Oh, sounds so sweet. What do they have? Where is the list?

I don't really get very many of these, but I do keep aware of them. I have gotten some wonderful things through the free sites. The program I am using right now, for instance. YEAH WRITE. I love it. It's easy and it works. Those are the determining factors for me. It's very good for journals.

My little granddaughter keeps her Journal on this. You have color choices, fonts, format is good. I have found no negatives, except one. When I copy to my site, the date, time, and title won't go. Maybe I haven't figured out how to yet.

I also have 602 PRO PC SUITE. A great program for writing. It also has a picture album included. 602 has all the features I need. If I bought an upgrade, I would also have a Thesaurus. But I found a free download Thesaurus. It is separate though, so not as handy. I have to remember to open it. It has not made a great impression on me, so I tend to forget about it. I am looking for another.

SPELL CHECK?

One of the worst things I see in print, are misspelled words. It really upsets me. I don't know why, yes I do. I think if people really cared about their writing, they would learn to spell.

If a page is put up on the World Wide Web, you would assume someone was proud of the content, wouldn't you? Wouldn't you think they would want to be sure all the i's were dotted and the t's crossed? Nothing puts me off as quick as to see a misused or misspelled word. I leave the site. If they didn't care enough to  edit, then I don't care enough to read it.

I'm not talking about grammar, unless it is a Professional site. If it is a personal site, people write as they talk. I like to read naturally written stories, grammar be darned.

Don't depend on SPELL CHECK! For one thing, you may have the word spelled correctly. There or Their? Both are spelled correctly, but they are used differently. I wish people would learn the difference. There are plenty of books on the subject, everyone should have some. TYPOS HAPPEN! CHECK AND EDIT!

April 21, 1003

EAR RINGS ARE NOT JUST FOR EARS ANYMORE

I was in a grocery store the other day when I noticed the girl in front of me. I caught a glimpse of her profile. She had something stuck on her nose. I thought it was something she should use a tissue to remove. I felt embarrassed for her. Almost told her about it. She and her friend were talking and laughing with the clerk, flirting, actually. She turned her face to her friend and I saw it. An ear ring!

I know about putting them in various spots of the body. They are not new and I am not that old. This one fooled me though. It was not shiny, it was dark.

UPDATE 

My beautiful fourteen-year-old granddaughter showed me her new nose ring Christmas day.  12-25-03

April 21, 2003

WALMART

I hate to go to Walmart's. Why? Because I must go through a check-out line on the way out.

Walmart's has the capacity of twenty checkouts. There are twenty registers, twenty counters, twenty numered lights. How many are open? Five. I asked a checker one time,"Why don't they open some more registers?" The answer, a disgusted. "I don't know."

I search for the shortest line, the one with only ten people waiting, and no full baskets. I stand in the line, patient as I can be. The line is not moving. I look up to find the problem and what do I see? There is no checker! She is gone. Ah, price check. I glare at the customer for being so selfish as to not make sure the price is clearly marked before placing it in the basket. Some customers smile sadly, embarrassed. Others won't look behind them at all, they know what they will see; ten angry, murderous faces, all staring at her or him.

Okay, the checker is back. She checks out five of the waiting customers. Then I notice a little sign quietly placed on the counter, facing the line of waiting patiently customers. You know what it says, don't you? CLOSED' . The little hussy is going on her break.

Everyone rushes to find another line, elbows jabbing to get there first.

The last time this happened to me, I refused to leave the line. I had been standing there a long time. My back was killing me, I couldn't give up my place and go to the back of another line. I stood there, waiting for her to finish with her last customer. Others got in line behind me. I pointed to the sign and told them, "she's closing after me." I made sure she heard me. I stepped up and took my place. I told her I was not about to go to another line after making it this far. She didn't make a scene and I was happy.

Something like this happens almost every time I go to Walmart.

I have gone to the Electronics Dept. I only need a package of CDs. I go to the Elec. Dept. checkout and what do I find? A person with a basket full of of stuff she did NOT get in the electronics dept. Clothing, shoes, cleaning supplies, a full basket. She is in the line because it is faster then the main checkouts. Sure it is, for her.

Did you ever notice the line length to the service/return desk? Why is that? I think it's because of the lack of check outs. I know that by the time I get checked out, I don't want my items any longer either. But, after standing in line so long, I damn well intend to get checked out properly!

My face knows what to do the minute I walk in the front door. It begins frowning.

The friendly greeter with the big smile takes a look and the eyes slide on past me to the person behind me, the smile frozen.

April 27, 2003

WALMART SAVED ME $110, plus tax

Yesterday Walmart saved me $110.00, plus tax. I am so glad. You want to know how you can save money too? Well, listen up.

I was browsing in the electronic dept., again. Not needing anything, but you know, just looking. I began looking at T.V.s. I don't know why, I don't watch t.v. at all. We have a new one my husband uses, and we put our old one in a spare bedroom.

Well, my eyes spied a small 13 inch, with VCR. My heart started to flutter, my knees were shaky, and I became dizzy. Wow! I have old stuff on vcr tapes, but my VCR hit the road a long time ago. I never worried about replacing it. Not since I obtained my Computer. I don't have time for anything else, I'm sure you understand.

Well, $110.00 for a TV and VCR seemed very reasonable to me. I know, you'll say VCR's are out. They're not going to make them any longer. Everything is on DVD's. Well, it usually takes me a few years to catch up, and anyway, I am Taurus, Stubborn, some people say. I refuse to move up until I want to. It must be my choice. So I refuse to go with DVD's until I choose to. Advertising does not make me want it.

Anyway, back to saving money. I looked around and found a male clerk, finally. I asked him to please lift the box and place it in my cart. The only box they had left had been retaped. I asked him, "Is that a return?" He opens it and says, "Yeah, looks like it didn't have a remote so we put one in." as he lifts the remote to show me, and prove it was actually included. I was hesitant. How did he know it was returned just because it didn't have a remote? My cynical head was saying, "Uh huh, doesn't sound reasonable"

He took a look at me, and said "I'll look in the back and see if we have another in an unopened box". I said, "of course you will."

So off he strolled into the netherworld. A half hour later I spied him showing large screen TV's to a fellow and his wife. I still waited patiently. They walked past me and he looked at me like he thought he had seen me somewhere, but couldn't quite place where.

He was smiling and talking to the couple, while I stood there glaring. He avoided my glare best as he could, but you know what? When you stare at someone's back hard enough and long enough, they really can feel it? It's true. They will turn around to see who is staring at them.

I said, okay, 1,2,3, I'm gone. He apparently had bigger fish to fry. I hope they decided against the large screen. I know I decided against the 13 inch with built in VCR.

So you see? Walmart saved me $110.00, plus tax.