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Post by carlos on Jul 30, 2019 12:12:33 GMT -5
A wearying summer trying to figure out my new cell phone--a task apparently beyond the powers of a deeply stupid old man. However, I intend to soldier on. What else do I have to do? I almost (not quite) envy those of you driving kids to soccer games.
I just finished reading Madeline Miller's wonderful book, 'Circe'--great stuff for lovers of Greek mythology--and particularly interesting because of its implicit feminist slant--not something the Greeks were noted for. I have not given up on the possibility that the Olympians are the real deal.
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Post by Daniel on Jul 30, 2019 16:50:40 GMT -5
If the new cell phone is a smart phone, carlos, you are way ahead of me. I still use a flip phone and have no immediate plans to graduate to one of the new attention-sucking Internet appliances that are terrible for actually making phone calls. |
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Post by carlos on Jul 30, 2019 23:14:45 GMT -5
If the new cell phone is a smart phone, carlos , you are way ahead of me. I still use a flip phone and have no immediate plans to graduate to one of the new attention-sucking Internet appliances that are terrible for actually making phone calls. I cannot believe I am ahead of anyone, much less a wizard of system analytics, in the understanding and use of cell phones. You are too modest. Speaking of modesty--you all recall how frequently, and annoyingly, I assert my amateur status. "I only write for my own amusement," I say, and demonstrate it by failing to sell a single book on-line (not quite true--Suzy bought one several years ago--such a kind reader.) But even the most non-commercial scribbler occasionally feels the urge, and tonight I either wasted or invested 20 bucks in one of those writing contests. It wouldn't have occurred to me, except that ten years ago I entered one and won $300. Woo hoo! Suddenly I was a professional writer. Still, I wouldn't ordinarily bet real money on my writing--I'd rather save it for a decent bottle of Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. This week, however, a neighbor gave me just such a bottle--so I had an extra 20 bucks in the bank. Mad money! I'm going to consider it an 'investment', at least until the judges award the prize to a real writer.  |
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Post by Miss Terri Novelle on Jul 30, 2019 23:28:44 GMT -5
I hope you win!!!
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Post by carlos on Jul 30, 2019 23:55:32 GMT -5
Me too. You're up late. Better go to bed. I often find that writing ideas come to me in that half conscious state, about 6 am, between sleep and what (these days) I laughingly call consciousness. |
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Post by Daniel on Jul 31, 2019 8:02:31 GMT -5
... tonight I either wasted or invested 20 bucks in one of those writing contests ... Best of luck! Are you writing something specifically for the contest or submitting something you've already created? |
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Post by Daniel on Jul 31, 2019 8:06:01 GMT -5
Today the refinishing crew arrives to get started on the next phase of our log home restoration. Now we get to look forward to several more days of workers, noise (the crew and the dogs barking at the crew), and mess. Our poor garden probably isn't going to like the staining process--the guys warned us there would be over-spray. Time to harvest all that kale and do some roasting.
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Post by carlos on Jul 31, 2019 12:20:12 GMT -5
Today the refinishing crew arrives to get started on the next phase of our log home restoration. Now we get to look forward to several more days of workers, noise (the crew and the dogs barking at the crew), and mess. Our poor garden probably isn't going to like the staining process--the guys warned us there would be over-spray. Time to harvest all that kale and do some roasting. Be careful not to eat any of that ground glass--unless you are doing research for a murder mystery. The writing contest 'offer' just showed up in my e-mail--48 hours to submit first chapter, etc. etc. I had gone several weeks without doing anything truly stupid (except buying a cell phone) an unusually long stretch for me-- and I had that extra 20 bucks in my pocket--so I rationalized that my chances in a writing contest were not too much worse than 20 chances in the megabucks lottery. I did some quick editing on 'The Maria Luisa Caper' to get it down to the first 6000 words, and shipped it off. It's the 'first' (uncompleted, of course) book in a projected series of Portland based mystery-thrillers featuring not-very-active-lawyer Mike van Buren and his legal assistant, Martha Kennedy--two laid-back legal-eagles who can't seem to stop themselves from doing the right thing. I am already suffering 'writing contestant's remorse'. |
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Post by Miss Terri Novelle on Jul 31, 2019 12:37:29 GMT -5
Me too. You're up late. Better go to bed. I often find that writing ideas come to me in that half conscious state, about 6 am, between sleep and what (these days) I laughingly call consciousness. I'm always up late. LOL. I was cleaning my kitchen because I'd just remembered my cousin was coming today. |
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Post by djmills on Jul 31, 2019 18:24:38 GMT -5
Good luck with the writing contest, carlos.
I am still working out my "smart" phone. My last mobile phone was first generation. The best part of my new 4G phone is "tethering" to my laptop to get internet. So much cheaper than the broadband I was using. You would think understanding the new mobile would be easy since I used to write the app programs, but I still don't understand why so many useless apps are put on my phone like "pay", "samsung health" and "duo" etc. One day I will learn how to delete them.
I am now saving $60.00 every month since cancelling my broadband and tethering my smart phone, so I might purchase some more writing courses. :-)
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Post by Miss Terri Novelle on Jul 31, 2019 22:30:31 GMT -5
I would tether if I got decent data at my house. However, I'd need to spend 400 on a booster for that to happen, and even then, I'm not sure it would boost data or just phone service. I guess I should ask. But, we have a plan that throttles speed after a certain amount of data is used. I'm pretty sure I'd blow through that in a hot minute since we'd have to use it for Netflix and the like.
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Post by Daniel on Aug 1, 2019 16:56:42 GMT -5
Miss Terri Novelle: Not sure if this helps, but we have used a Yagi cellular antenna and signal booster in the past. We normally get no usable phone signal at our house, but the antenna/booster allowed us to pull in a signal and access the Internet fairly reliably for several years. Then Verizon oversold the coverage in our area and we had to go back to satellite. For a while there, we had pretty good 3G access (4G never rolled out to our area). That said, we never tried doing any serious streaming like with NetFlix.
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Post by Miss Terri Novelle on Aug 1, 2019 17:32:30 GMT -5
Sweet. I'm considering the booster. It's just a bit expensive. Still, if I could drop to just internet, I'd save 100 a month so it would pay for itself in no time.
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Post by djmills on Aug 2, 2019 13:15:56 GMT -5
I don't watch anything, like Netflix, via internet. I use less than 5 GB per month (about 3 GB) unless I am doing a 6 week writing course that has lots of videos, which might go over 5 GB per month. I am paying for 10 GB per month (with another 10 GB added free!) that rolls over each month. Obviously I will never ever use up all the "stored/saved/unused" GB but it is there if I need to download/upload large files.
I hope you find a good booster to get faster/more stable phone/internet access.
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Post by carlos on Aug 2, 2019 13:41:20 GMT -5
Well, this is just another landscape of ignorance for me. I live in a facility with 'free' (i.e., included with the rent) not very reliable internet. I can switch to internet to save my phone minutes, and I do so (whenever I remember) (and as often as it appears to be working) but I wonder if I could improve my wi-fi, and/or smartphone, reception with some sort of additional apparatus. I'd still have to subscribe, right?
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Post by Suzy on Aug 16, 2019 15:37:04 GMT -5
I like this thread.
Life at the moment is good, but the summer disappeared too fast! We had a lovely month in Kerry dog-sitting and enjoying nice warm weather and lovely swims in the Atlantic. Nothing like a swim in the ocean!
I'm writing and editing and generally trying to find time for everything. I just had a look at Facebook and notice some authors quoting rave reviews of their books. Not sure I like that anymore, even if I did it myself quite a lot in the past. But as a reader I find that a little boring and amateurish. I know how lovely it is to get a good review and you want to tell the world. But most people don't really find that interesting, do they? Am I getting cynical after 20 years of writing and marketing?
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Post by djmills on Aug 16, 2019 16:07:19 GMT -5
Cynical? Don't know, Suzy. :-)
I do know my very first review was 1 star and stated "thought I was buying a novel but only got a short story". (The short story was free.) :-)
I just smiled when I received a 5 star for my latest story. Now, I guess I have to write more in that genre with that main character (or not). :-)
Now back to Blender to get those steel beams straight/bent in the correct places. Fun!
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Post by Miss Terri Novelle on Aug 16, 2019 16:16:49 GMT -5
I don't post my reviews on FB. Seems like a weird thing to do.
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Post by kateelizabeth on Sept 23, 2019 13:36:52 GMT -5
I've started deleting my erotic romance ebooks from all retailers. I had pulled one pen name a couple of months ago, then changed my mind and stuck the stories back everywhere. Then I changed my mind again. I'm just waiting for this particular pen name to finish out its 3-month stint in Kobo Plus, then it's gone for good. I already pulled another pen name from everywhere already. I have to tell you, it was such a relief. I'm not writing erotic anymore, after going back and forth for months. While I'm still doing some sex scenes for some romances, my preference is sweet. Plus, I'm working in other genres right now. As I told my best friend yesterday, I've moved on.
Also, I'm waiting to be a grandma for the first time next month. I want to be a good one, but I'm both nervous and excited.
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Post by djmills on Sept 23, 2019 15:25:38 GMT -5
Congrats on becoming a grandma, Kate. :-)
Last week I removed all my books from Amazon and am in the process of removing any remaining links on my publisher site or writer blogs.
All because Amz would not admit they had received a print copy of my W8-BEN form, and then when they did admit they received it, they said I had to submit it again via the computer. Of course, their 2 step verification wanted my phone number. That was not going to happen! I thought about purchasing another AU$200.00 plus mobile, and the cheapest AU$390.00 with data, or AU$130.00 without data, and give that number to Amazon. Then decided it was not worth it as I only average AU$130.00 a year in earnings from Amazon. They threatened taking 30% instead of 5% tax if I did not give them my phone number even though they finally admitted they did have my W8-BEN form.
So, I removed my books. Ordered them to pay what they owe, including pesos, and close my account. I am waiting to see if that happens. :-)
Now, I am waiting for D2D to finish testing their new print process (hopefully the same as Createspace before Amz bought it) to get print going again.
And, trying to calm down enough so that I can do a blog telling my experience of the 15 step Two Step verification without swearing. :-)
I need to channel my anger into the next scene in my current story. All fun and games.
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