Wireless But Plugged-In

Tags

Advertising, baby, baby girl, camera phone, Dragon, Dragon Speech Recognition, Facebook, new baby, Science and Technology, smart phone, smartphone, Valentine's Day

Technology has gotten so advanced that we almost don’t need to even use our hands any more.  Sometimes I use something called Dragon, a program which downloads onto your computer and then types everything you say.  I just HAD to have it, and City Boy got it for me, so now I use it once-in-a-blue-moon.  Every new technological advancement that comes along always looks great in the advertisement and like it will make life so much better.  Then when we have it, well, it sometimes doesn’t turn out to be the manna from heaven it was made out to be.

Now the internet has programs in place that track your every move on the computer, and even your every move away from the computer if your cell phone is synced-in with it.  They watch for trends in your life, and make sure to gear the advertisements they send your way to what they perceive you are interested in.  Facebook also utilizes this feature, and I have a feeling most social networks do.

Picture of Me

Perusing down the advertisements that have shown-up just today on my Facebook home page, I would say these tracking programs need a little work.  According to the advertisements running down my Facebook home page, I am an overweight wrinkled gay man who smokes and plays computer games frequently.  Maybe I need more hormones or something, because that is just not me.  Well, the overweight wrinkled part may have a grain of truth.

 Really, I try to understand that the advertisements pay the bills for the companies they represent, but I would like them to understand that they are annoying.  Especially when the target audience is not even remotely interested in the advertiser’s product/service.  What kind of advertisements SHOULD they be sending my way?  Here are some of MY preferences:

• Purses – big ones with lots of pockets for minor disaster readiness
• Solar generators – you never know when you have to rough it
• Discount shoes – cute ones
• Hunky man calendars – I have a hunky man at home but he’s not always at home
• Support groups for old people with little dogs
• Any ready-made dessert – I love rich desserts — there may be a valid reason why the tracker thought I might be overweight
• Neat Desk – well, I have to get at least one technological gadget on this list, and I really NEED it, don’t ya’ know

So, if any advertising trackers are watching this blog, READ THE ABOVE LIST.

Okay, so another thing about technology — camera phones.  Pictures sent by them are rarely good enough to, say, post on a blog.  They are handy if you need to get a picture to somebody fast of something that is right in front of you that very instant.  But come on, how often does that scenario become necessary?   Again, for me it’s only once-in-a-blue-moon.

Frank’s daughter Becca’s camera phone does take pretty decent pictures, although not that good in low lighting.  But we take what we can get as far as pictures of Precious Baby are concerned.  We always like getting them.

Black is not a color I have ever felt is made for a baby girl to wear.  But that’s only me, and I’m old.  But apparently, Precious Baby does not care for it either.

Put her in some nice girly colors, and Precious Baby has a whole new outlook.

Just saying…..

For those of you just now tuning in, I have been trying to give reminders of that special day for all people who love each other, or even like each other (and you know who you are).

 Don’t forget Valentine’s Day!!!  It’s just around the corner!

Related articles

• Facebook condemned for ‘exploiting’ users in adverts for friends (thetimes.co.uk)
• Go Ahead and Criticize Your Boss on Facebook (patspapers.com)
• Facebook to Launch ROI Tracking Tool for Ads (hubspot.com)
• Facebook mobile update raises serious privacy concerns (rt.com)
• Is All This Social Media Ruining Your Social Life? And Other Hot Topics (blogs.constantcontact.com)
• 12 Sneaky Ways That Big Retailers Track Your Every Move (businessinsider.com)
• The Dragon Roars Its Head Again: Dragon 12 Professional (realtechnews.com)

Hand Over the Candy

Tags

baby, baby portrait, Candy, flowers, husband, new baby, Valentine, Valentine Candy, Valentine Day, Valentine gift

It’s a great world we live in!  No matter what is happening in the world that can make us doubt that, we can remember that it’s still a great world!

You’re going to get tired of hearing about this, but Valentine’s Day is fast approaching.  Why am I already talking about a day that is over three weeks away?  City Boy wonders the same thing.  “Why are you already decorating for that?  It’s still January!”

Sigh.  Yeah, I can wait until the week before, like he wants me to, put all the decorations up, enjoy them for a few days, then be pressured to take them all right back down again as soon as the Big Day is over.  That’s really a barrel of fun for me.  But, I like to be difficult and make the place look festive.  

With Frank, I think the problem is fear.  That’s right.  He is wondering if he’s going to have to come up with something special for me for Valentine’s Day.  And since I’m a planner, he knows he can’t get away with giving me a tootsie roll and telling me he didn’t have time to get me anything more chocolaty because Valentine’s Day “snuck-up” on him.

Actually, he is pretty good to do special things for special days.  He has good taste in flowers, and is thoughtful in a lot of ways.  I think what he’s more worried about is that I am expecting more somehow.  You know, the big flourish of emotion and him gushing his undying love for me.  A trip to Figi would be nice, but I’m certainly not expecting it.

So, I’m starting early enough that everyone who knows me is not going to forget — everyone sees it coming and knows to get out and get that special someone something special, or plan that special event.  I thought about trying to find the movie he and I watched together on our first date (The Notebook).  I don’t know — he’ll probably say, “Why did you get this movie?  Don’t you remember that we’ve already seen it?”

To intermingle Valentine’s Day with Christmas (I try to keep THAT holiday going as long as possible!), we just received the Christmas portraits of Becca’s Precious Baby.  Actually, it doesn’t matter when you get pictures of a baby, they’re never too late.  And most especially if it’s your grandchild.  At the time these were taken Precious Baby couldn’t have been more than a week or so old.  

That’s the perfect Christmas, and Valentine’s, greeting!

Related articles

• Valentine’s Day Fun and Games for Kids (personalcreations.com)
• Valentine Ideas for a Casual Relationship (redenvelope.com)
• Dazzling gift ideas for Valentine’s Day (365newsng.wordpress.com)
• Valentines Day Gift Ideas (runningrachel.com)
• I want to be your Valentine (stylebizarre.com)
• DIY Valentines: Secret Message Valentines (formulamom.com)
• Valentine Doily Decoration (bedifferentactnormal.com)
• Your Guide to Valentine’s Day ’13 (inexpensivechic.com)
• Valentine crafts :: make a Valentine’s gratitude tree (nurturestore.co.uk)

An Updated Glimpse

Tags

baby, baby girl, daughter, granddaughter, infant, infant girl, new baby, peaceful baby, sleeping baby, sweet dreams

Just before I go to bed, I wanted to quickly post the latest picture of Frank’s 1-1/2 month old granddaughter.  The picture was sent from Becca’s cell phone, and I just had to share it!  I guess we just can’t help ourselves….

Looking at a precious baby sleeping peacefully is a great thing to look at right before going to bed — I hope you all have sweet dreams tonight as well!

Tah-Dah!!

Tags

baby, baby daughter, Christmas baby, new baby

Yesterday was a full day, and one person had a busier day than usual.  Frank’s youngest daughter, Becca, had our first expected 2012 Christmastime grandbaby!  We’ve been waiting with such anticipation, and now, without further ado, I just have to show her off!

Kasyn Kennedy was born yesterday and is already the light of her Daddy and Mommy’s life!  Becca says she is a good baby who sleeps and eats and looks cute!

Congratulations, Steven and Becca!