A juggling technophile shares personal stories, challenges, humor and perhaps some political commentary.
I spent half my day on the phone and half the day coding. Some of the time I spent on the phone I was also coding but that is akin to driving and reading a book at the same time–neither gets done very well and something is likely to go wrong.
On a personal note, I have finally, after nearly four decades, learned how to spell bureaucracy!
We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming for a bureaucratic pause. Tasks: a) convince a creditor that they have misapplied my payments and to back their lawyers off, b) figure out how to get Cathy’s last name updated with Social Security without having to drive to Illinois, and c) figure out what’s not happening with FASFA. Bets? 30 minutes or 6 hours on the phone?
Update: a) done until tomorrow when I have to call them again. b) Cathy got taken care of (hurrah! Super woman!) c) next.
Tommy’s financial aid is in jeopardy because the paperwork says Buttle not Tuttle.
C|Net posted a story called N.Y. court upholds school cell phone ban and I replied with this comment:
I find it disheartening that for reasons which sound fearful and lacking of understanding “…contending the mobile gadgets can promote cheating and harassment…” that schools fail to teach a tool which will be integral to our children’s success in life once they leave school. Schools should be teaching our children how to use the tools on the cell phones including productivity management (calendar apps, todos, alerts), etiquette (better to learn it in school than on their first job!), emailing, sms, Internet searching from the phone, social networking (that’s how contracts and sales will be landed, jobs offered, and an edge above the rest secured), and so on.
Address issues of “cheating and harassment” on an individual basis and let’s not limit our children’s education based on speculation!
I have more here including a video where teaching cellphones in school proved to be successful: http://realityme.net/2008/02/23/teach-cell-phones-dont-ban-them/
Now, I had some difficulty submitting the comment so it may have appeared as though I tried to submit it three times. The comment is now gone. Instead blather like this is left:
It is so funny to hear people say that their little johnny is such a perfect child and that they have the right to reach him in the event of a comet hitting the earth. First of all, johnny is a little pervert cheater with no respect for his teacher or the classroom. Second of all, the parents are just as bad as their kid. Sick sick sick. They all need to be be put back on track and taught what is right and what is wrong. They can stomp their feet and throw a tantrum or they can pull their heads out of their butts and see the light. Boo hoo… Cry me a river. We never had cell phones when I was in school. Somehow I survived. Somehow may parents picked me up from football. Somehow they picked me up when I was sick at school. Somehow they were contacted when I threw spit balls. Kids and parents nowdays are screwed up big time.
I have read the C|NET terms of use and unless the relevant link to Reality Me can be construed as advertising then there was no justification for the comment deletion. If the link was a problem, remove the link! I have reposted the comment but if it disappears I simply won’t participate in C|Net discussions anymore.
I feel like for the past month I have given you more time on paperwork than I have given my family and clients. I have dotted Ts and crossed Is, typo’d and corrected, photocopied and triplicated, unearthed ancient hidden documents and proven and proven and proven. Taxes are done and filed. Eldest child’s grants and financial aid applications submitted. Other more personal documents having to do with a long gone past that refuses to fade into obscurity and history have been notarized, witnessed, and mailed. Please. My ink well is dry, my wrists hurt, and my finger tips are numb. I know there is more to come. But please. Allow me to rest. Let Lowry handle it for a bit!
