Fixing the blog, and guilty TV pleasures
Last night while my wonderful all-volunteer tech-support army of one worked on fixing the glitch in my blog, I sweated it out.
I’d been there before. Periodically, during the six years I’ve written this blog, something will go wrong that requires a major overhaul. Each time, even though all the content of the blog is supposedly stored by the host and then backed up again by my trusty tech-person, I get nervous. Very very nervous.
I am technologically inept. It has nothing to do with intelligence or lack thereof. We all have our strengths, and anything to do with tech stuff—computers, cell phones, the innards of cars—is not mine. In fact, I distrust the entire enterprise, although I love the benefits of using the technology. But it all seems rather magical and mysterious and opaque to me.
So while the blog was being worked on, and was down for about an hour (I tried to go to it once before I realized this, and got the message “fatal error,” which did nothing for my equanimity) I had to distract myself. What to do? I fastened on one of my heretofore secret guilty pleasures, the TV reality show “The Bachelorette,” on Hulu.
I know, I know. You’re almost as shocked as if I’d sent crotch shots on Twitter to a young admirer. But really, should I be judged so very harshly? It’s my version of a soap opera, and it has the added benefit of being real. Sort of.
What’s the harm in watching a mindless but entertaining show that follows a bunch of telegenic young people going to exotic places and having fun, plus the rivalry and thrills (engineered or not, fake or real) of the competitive battle for a young woman’s—ahem—heart?
All I can say is that it took my mind off my blog and its vulnerability for a full hour and a half, all that was needed. When I got the all-clear call, the roses were about to be given out, and my blog had landed safely.
Women have natures..
only those that deny nature, think otherwise…
You watch The Bachelorette and I watch American Pickers.
Beware. “The Bachelorette” is a gateway drug. Pretty soon it will be even more degradation . You’ll wind up watching “Say Yes to the Dress” and “I Didn’t Know I Was Pregnant” and the Youtube outtakes of Abby Sciuto’s latest neck tattooing and cute nerd spins on NCIS.
My tv has turned into a weather radar night light. The net and netflix has enlightened me to a world without 5 minute doses of pharmaceutical ads every 12 minutes.
I post; therefore, I am.
Yay! It works again!
Neo,
There are lots of people who understand technology. There aren’t so many who write and think as well as you do.
I don’t understand the concept of a “guilty pleasure”. So this went over my head from the start.
I, too, depend on the kindness of strangers for major tech support. Although Raj isn’t really a stranger any more.
My brother (Hub) tells me that if I HAD to handle the techie stuff I would learn how, butt because I have such a reliable on-site techie I’ve never bothered my pretty little head. OK.
Glad you’re up and humming again. Crashes are enough to give us ladies the vapors.
Yesss! Neo’s finally up and operating again. When one of your guilty pleasures is reading blogs like yours, one can quickly experience acute withdrawal symptoms when the supply suddenly dries up.
I know a lot about the basics of computers, but what has become astounding to me is the speed and the ease.
In 1989 I had a Commodore computer. I was able to log into my airline’s computer and bid my schedules for the next month from home. Wow, what an advancement over driving to the airport (70 miles round trip) to bid. Except that I had a checklist with 18 different operations necessary to get to the right place. It required a full two hours of uninterrupted effort to reach mission accomplished. Oh yeah, the “good old days.”
Four years ago I was on dial up and happy as could be until……a friend showed me his high speed cable connection. Now I’m hooked and could never go back. Is there something in this tale that smacks of an addcitive personality? Nah, can quit anytime. I think.
TV comes in handy to fall asleep to sometimes. I love the sound of a baseball game. What is better than the voice of a baseball announcer? And the pace, just that great pace with the lively upbeat every now and then.
Ben Shapiro has a new book out about TV and its nefarious effect on our culture, but Ben also watches quite a bit of TV and has some good things to say about it as well.
Echoing Liz…. if you enjoy it Neo and it does no harm to others, why guilt? For you it is obviously simply pleasure. I read (and reread) Tony Hillerman, Elmore Leonard, & Louis L’amour for the same reason.
Echoing Curtis…. baseball is the only game for me. October without the World Series would be a tragedy too cruel to contemplate.
My old computer crapped out about a month ago (apparently a solder problem with the motherboard) and I ended up reading a book while I was waiting for a new computer. Here’s a comment I left on Ace of Spades’ Sunday Book Thread on May 15, back when I could still comment there:
Neo,
Its nice to your blog whole again. It’s my only daily “must-read”.
Curtis,
Few things can send me off to sleep like the sounds of a baseball game on TV and the soft blue glow in a dark room. There is something comforting about it.
I meant…”nice to see your blog whole again”.
Doh.
You want to know a real guilty pleasure: The economy is thoroughly tanking and a part of me is “yeaaaaaah!”
On the TV as a soporific: I have an automatic shut off. I could never go to sleep by just laying down and going to sleep. Sleep must find me a stranger. I wonder, am I just a big baby?
Yeaaaaaaah!
I always forget the sleep timer on the TV and wake up to Ron Popeil selling his Rotisserie Grill shouting “Set it and forget it!”
I’d love to have the national anthem and test patterns back.
Parker Says:
June 1st, 2011 at 8:37 pm
“I read (and reread) Tony Hillerman, Elmore Leonard, & Louis L’amour for the same reason.”
I too enjoy reading Hillerman, Leonard & L’amour. Especially Elmore Leonard – a great writer.
Have you read Elmer Kelton? You might enjoy his stories.
Off topic, but I’m sure everyone has heard by now of the tornadoes in Massachusetts.
I can’t link it directly, but this page has a remarkable video. It’s a small tornado, but seen from extremely close range.
Scroll down to “Tornado Moves Through Springfield”. It’s worth watching full screen, even though it’s not high resolution.
Welcome back!
John,
I am not familiar with Elmer Kelton, but will check at the local library. Thanks for the tip. Its fun to discover a new author for the ‘guilty pleasure’ of reading popular fiction.
Curtis says, “You want to know a real guilty pleasure: The economy is thoroughly tanking and a part of me is “yeaaaaaah!””
I take no pleasure in the news, but I understand what you mean. I’m just waiting for the other shoe to drop so we can begin the necessary contraction/depression before DC & the Federal Reserve dig us an even deeper hole to climb out of.