In times like these

I got up this Sunday morning, and was for some reason, confused about the time. Have you ever been disoriented about what time it is? I was thinking as I was taking my shower that Daylight Saving Time ended today at 2:00am, and that we failed to set the clocks back. Quickly I made several decisions based on this information: I could let my husband sleep in a little longer before waking him up-the poor man with his two jobs certainly could use it. I could spend the hour since I was already up, doing something productive. I wondered how many people would get to church early. I thought about calling my daughter-her husband had to be to work at 7:00am this morning. I thought about calling my son-he's working today. I signed on to the computer to confirm my inclination and yes, the time in the lower right hand corner said 6:30am. "I knew it!" I thought to myself.

But something gnawed in my brain. Was it really 6:30am? I was beginning to experience what psychologists call "cognitive dissonance". This phenomenon occurs when new information does not seem to match or jive with prior information you have stored in your gray cells and you begin to be vaguely aware that something is amiss somewhere in your thinking process. I decided to do a google search of "Daylight Saving Time 2008". Then I really had cognitive dissonance. DST doesn't end until NEXT Sunday at 2:00am. I have no idea why the time on my computer is an hour early-it must have to do with the IE program-perhaps it was already fixed to change the last Sunday in October. Now how to change the time on the computer is another issue. OOO-it only took this computer tech dinosaur three clicks to figure it out!

Speaking of cognitive dissonance, did you read about the woman from Japan who killed her virtual-reality husband's avatar and was arrested? She wasn't arrested for killing the avatar, she was arrested for trespassing with his password into the reality computer game they were participating in. An avatar is a persona you take on when you participate in online computer games. Apparently, there are several popular games you can play which are interactive with people around the world-you (or rather your avatars) can live together in communities, and my son in law was telling me last night that one of the most popular games is one which you can live in other worlds and universes. Anyhow, in this game, this woman's avatar was married to this man's avatar, and they were living together in this virtual reality computer game. Apparently, the man's avatar divorced the woman's avatar rather suddenly, leaving the avatar homeless. The REAL woman behind her avatar grew so enraged at how her computer persona was treated that she hacked into the game with the REAL man's password and had his avatar commit suicide.

When I was talking about this with my daughter over lunch, she blithely told me that back in the day when she was participating in this sort of thing, she allowed one of her avatars to go swimming in the pool and then took the ladder out to see if it would drown, which it did. There was a funeral service and cremation, and the urn was displayed prominently in the home that this avatar lived in.

Online gaming is the fastest growing industry in the world-bar none. There are millions of people worldwide who for hours a day, live in these imaginary kingdoms, worlds, and communities and create a life's existence which they have created to be more fulfilling than their REAL life is. I realize for some, it's entertainment, but I cannot imagine first of all, having the time to devote to it, and secondly, wasting the time it takes to devote to it. However, there is a certain advantage of living in a virtual reality world, and that is, I can be in control of what happens to me. I can dispense justice, take revenge, and get rid of those I'm angry with. Even the guy whose avatar was done away with can in about a minute, create a new one. In virtual reality worlds, the players can be "god", and I would hypothesize that this is why they are so popular. Comments?

I'm glad I can type a "subject" in here....

Many times, I feel as if I am an Edsel in a world of 2009 BMWs when it comes to computer technology. Just recently my son completed an upgrade on our desktop here in the front room. He was able to save all my favorites and icons but I had to re-install Yahoo Messenger. Of course, I now have the latest version of that, which, I hate, and, a new version of IE (I believe it's 7), which I also deplore. These new versions are supposed to make my life easier, but alas, they do not. One of the most glaring things is that when I compose an email from my Yahoo email address, the subject line is un-enterable. The field is there, but it's not open to put anything in it. I sent an email to Yahoo Help, and received, I assume, a computer generated reply to try several things, all of which will take more time and patience than I currently have at my disposal. If any of you reading this blog could think of anything to tell me to do, please let me know. It's not the end of the world, but it's a little thing that's making me crazy. I once had a superior return an email to me, chastizing me for not having a subject line in it. I still work for this superior and I think about that every time I send one out, particularly to her, although, I of course, I use my work email address so there's no problem. It's just that I THINK about it. Every time.

It's Sunday morning. After laying awake most of the night, I'm now up and thinking about activities ahead in this day. Church. Lunch. Choir practice. Women's group. Evening services. I hope for a nap, but that's not happening today. I see from "Sunday Morning" that Charles Osgood is broadcasting from the Phildelphia Zoo. Time to get coffee and go see what Charlie's got on his agenda. Have a good day, all.

Overheard Office Conversations

Receptionist: What are the new shirts made out of?
Clerk: They're 100% cotton.
Receptionist: Cotton? That's the stuff that grows on sheep, right?
Clerk: No, cotton comes from rabbits. That's why they're called cottontails.

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Regional Director: So our biggest problem last year was we tried to take over the whole world, and the whole world is a big place. We need to think small, concentrate on taking over individual countries first...like Wisconsin.

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Bookkeeper: What is Susan's last name?

Office Manager: Susan who?

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Co-worker: I don't really pay that much attention to politics. I mean, I don't even know the difference between a Republican and a Dominican.

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Tech: Okay, now right-click there.

Admin: Here?

Tech: No, right-click. Right there.

Admin: Okay...

Tech: No, get rid of that. Right-click. Right there. Right-click. Right-click...Which button are you clicking?

Admin: The left one.

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Office Manager: It's like apples and oranges: they are all the same.

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Office worker: The paper coming out of the printer is really hot! It's never been that hot before. Can we do something to cool it down?

Tech: Oh, I forgot! I put the summer paper in there! I'll switch to the winter paper! Give me 10 minutes.

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Sales Manager: You are really getting on my nerves today!

General Manager: Good, I can cross that off my list!

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Tech on phone: Okay, go ahead and type in your password...Yep, just type it in...In the password field...Just type it...With your keyboard...Should be right in front of you... Has letters on it...Great!

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Receptionist: Do you have any extra wireless cords?

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Originator: Two charts are just great. Very helpful. Two is a lot more than one.

VP: Yeah, it's like twice as much.

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HR #1: Why would anyone agree to take on more responsibility if we're not going to pay them more?

HR #2: We're giving them more projects to work on that will be more advanced than what they're working on right now. I think people look for a challenge and they will be willing to take on more responsibility if it promises to be rewarding. Besides, most of them are in their twenties and need to start somewhere. So you see, we really are paying them more...in experience.

HR #1: Who is ever going to fall for that?

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Worker #1: Do you have any time available to meet on Thursday?

Worker #2: It will be pretty tough; I have back to back meetings all day.

Worker #1: How about 11AM?

Worker #2: Okay, I have nothing scheduled at all between 9AM and 5PM.

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Co-worker: If I didn't have so much to do, I would get a lot more done.

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Employee on phone: Yeah, that's a little redundant.

Boss: You can say that again.

Attention Getters

Things which have caught my attention recently:

The weather. I cannot remember in recent history, such a temperate September and October. Daytime temps remain in the 70's and 80's, with cooler temperatures in the evenings, but we aren't even running the furnace much yet. I think I had it on a few mornings ago when I woke up to a house that was kind of chilly.

My youngest son. He's now a working man. He takes his lunch every day, using a vinyl lunch bag he wouldn't have been caught dead carrying a couple of years ago. Even when he worked at WSU and took his lunch, he ate mostly frozen dinners and took them in a plastic grocery bag. And made fun of people who TOOK lunch bags. But now, he's come over to the dark side and is stuffing a lunch bag with food every day. (However, I just now heard him in the kitchen muttering to himself..."I'm not in the mood for this lunch today".)

The book, "Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage" by Mark Gungor. The title is cheesy, but the premise is interesting. I have not agreed with everything he's said but it's been entertaining. I wonder if he's been married for as long as I have. I understand that he's a pastor, and I try to imagine my pastor saying some of the things this guy says in his book. Hmmm. I don't think so. I recommend it for the entertainment factor, if nothing else.

The election and everything that goes with it. What is there to say, except, God help us all. But I have enjoyed Tina Fey's impersonation of Sarah Palin-she's a dead ringer for her and has the voice to boot. (Alaska IS near Russia, doncha know...)

Lower gas prices. Thanks be to God, I can fill up for a little more than 50.00 now. I don't know why the price of oil is falling so fast, and you can read a million opinions on it. One thing I do know, it's temporary. This economy is on a roller coaster ride and we just need to hang on the best we can.

Speaking of roller coasters, I rode one for the first time in many years last weekend at Silver Dollar City. It was called the "Powder Keg". It gave me a neck ache and heartburn. You know you're an old geezer when a roller coaster produces acid reflux which lasts for hours. Tums sorta helped. However, I did very much enjoy riding the "Lost River Rapids", with 2 brothers and a husband. We ended up so wet we wrang our socks out afterwards, but what a perfect two days we had at Silver Dollar City, weather-wise and just overall, a lot of fun.

That's all for now. Have a good weekend.