“Say the word and you’ll…” You’ll what? Be a meme? “No, that isn’t right.”
Be a me. Nope. Ah, it is “Be like me.”
At least that is what the Beatles said. Play this music embed and read on about my struggle with this not a new thing, I know it goes back much further in time than this Happiness Project post, but I stopped searching when I found this use. I don’t think it became a meme until this year. (Digression: Oh crap, there is another word I need to write a post about. The word “meme” and my time travels with it. )
There is a word meme going round. I have tried to resist. I even considered using the word “resist” as my word. That was just too iterative, and self-negating for me. It tripped the, “Wow, man” circuit. And that is one little connection I try to never fire up. I spent too many years attempting to inform the world that Later Born Baby Boomers are quite distinct as as a Baby Boomer cohort and we really should not be grouped with them at all. So the word isn’t “resist.”
Besides, I don’t believe in resisting. I believe in building new structures, paths, and understandings. To “resist” is just to put energy into a system with which you disagree. I’m a “Field of Dreams” type girl.
The other thing I decided is that my word will not be one of the trendy ones. One of the tried and true ones, maybe. But not one of the trendy ones. I only do trends before they are trends, n’est-ce pas?
It sure isn’t disrupt or any derivative of that word. Neither is gratitude. These are both perfectly fine words, great words, in fact, but frequent usage does not mean that most people who use or select them personally understand the meaning of the words. Neither will my word be bipartisan. I think this will be a big word in the fall. But that would be foolish after so many decades of steady rightward shift. Balance must be restored, but for me balance is not a simple meeting in a middle, no it isn’t the the right word either.
Resolutions or words, it makes no difference. This year will be for me to organize. My files? Maybe. A movement? Perhaps. My life? Always. But is it my word? Nope. Two solid weeks of thinking about this has finally brought me to the understanding that I am a nerdy, techy person, so what I need is something, well, structural. When I realized this I knew what my word for 2014, the Year of the Horse, the year I turn 57 having been born in 57 (that has to be a magical number) is (Can you hear the drum roll?) infrastructure.
Infrastructure inspires me. Infrastructure motivates me. Infrastructure simplifies everything when created properly. Infrastructure is what our country has neglected that has led us to where we are. Infrastructure is cool. Rachel Maddow says so. If asked, the 11th Doctor, the Raggedy Man, would say so too… along with singing the praises of bow ties, fezzes, and 10 gallon hats.
So, tah dah, my friends – you will be hearing a lot about tech, organization, and infrastructure both here, and on my business site, Hill Research Service’s Research and Content during the next many months. It is going to be a good year.
Good Enough vs Top of the Line Writing Tech
I love technology. There is some sort of undeveloped engineer somewhere inside of me.
In yesterday’s post I wrote about my recent experience with process of computer repair and replacement, the importance of protecting the technology that supports my business from pets, and the need for having a service and equipment providers you trust.
There are a few more aspects of the process that I would like to highlight as potentially informative and instructional to other small or micro business owners who are struggling as a start up or just dealing with the less than optimal economic environment for small business.
Photo credit: imelenchon from morguefile.com
What I Learned
- Zero interest consumer accounts can help a gal out when she starts a business on a shoe-string .
- A generous return policy allows for assessment of products and the likelihood that an unacceptable product will be replaced by a different, often more expensive product that meets the needs of the consumer.
- Tech reviews can emerge from trials and tribulations. I have experience with Windows 8 and with the Chromebook because of I tried them and found them to not meet my needs.
- Open Box, or returned, items rock.
The Chromebook
Many people, including sales reps in computer stores do not care for the Chromebook because it is not really a computer. The Chromebook functions as a vehicle to connect to the internet. It may work very well for writers who are looking for a portable tech product for working on cloud-based apps, Google docs, and websites. I found that I was pleasantly surprised by the number of things that I could work on and with while using the Chromebook.
For the record I was using a Samsung Chromebook. It had a good battery life, could connect with my WordPress sites with no problem, was just fine for accessing and altering my Google docs. I was pleasantly surprised by the number of applications within Google Play, the equivalent of an app store, that allowed me to do many things I did not anticipate that I would be able to do.
I happen to think, overall, that the Chromebook, at $250 or less, is a great option for bloggers who are working with very limited funds.
The two major things I did not like about the Chromebook were:
- the less than accurate cursor tracking that made graphic manipulation and game play (even simple Facebook or Zynga games) exercises in frustration.
- the low quality resolution of the screen that left my astigmatic and presbyotic eyes tired unless I was very disciplined about taking a break from the screen every half hour or so.
The Chromebook is good enough for my basic needs.
Upgrading to a MacBook Pro
When my MacBook Air was deemed irreparable I had to determine whether I would just work from the Chromebook which I had purchased while the MacBook Air was in the shop, or whether I would replace the Mac with another Mac. My reasons for choosing Best Buy have been stated before in yesterday’s post and above in today’s post. The specific equipment decision rests elsewhere beyond store or brand loyalty.
The first question I asked after being told by MacBook Air was junked was, “What open box Macs are available.” I had not anticipated going top of the line, especially since having my iPad stolen via a pickpocket this summer and realizing that I could not always afford to replace stolen equipment. I had the funds from the MacBook Air return, the clerk let me know I could also return the Chromebook with no problem, The Chromebook protection plan would also be refunded to my account. The only open box item available then and there was a retina display equipped MacBook Pro. I looked at the new MacBook Air models in stock, but they were close to $350 more than what I had paid for the open box one. I wasn’t sure it was really worth the price.
I think the retina screen is what won me over in the end. The resolution is so crisp, even for document editing that I can not wear my progressive lenses and work on the laptop. My eyes become strained when I wear progressives and the change in focus from keyboard, to bottom screen to top screen stresses my eyes with the constant shifting and refocusing. The Mac retina display is so much better than most screens that I can work without glasses and read everything n the screen. This is a personal constraint, but less eye-strain is a good thing, even if you still keep your glasses on. The resolution also allows me to work with detailed graphics and there is no tracking problem I have ever encountered on a Mac. The increased storage and the ability to play games are nice features but not deal makers or breakers. The lesser price of the open box item made the Pro fall within a price range I could afford. A new one fell outside of the range I could justify.
I am still perturbed that my cat started this whole saga with her fur-brained actions, but it turned out well. And it turned out in a way that allows me to have a great amount of confidence that I made a good choice among the options open to me.
Welcome Lucky 13! My Uncluttered Year.
I thought ’12 would be good, but it wasn’t. So as for predictions, I’m done making them. Luck is what you make of it. And we are entering a new Bak’tun as the Mayans called the ages in their long count calendar, so we can reinvent everything to our liking. Isn’t this what we do every year anyway with our resolutions?
I do hereby resolve to… (fill in the behaviors and traits to be reinvented here.)
Why do we do this every year? Lose 25 lbs. Exercise. Eat healthy. Our culture seems to condone the practice of futile resolution making. Pope Gregory reintroduced January 1 in 1582 as New Years Day after a Medieval hiatus when other dates of religious significance were observed rather than January 1. But the new year, whenever it may be observed, has more often seen resolutions centered on moral betterment rather than breaking the cycle of bad habits. I like this approach better than the more self-centered one. I leave the habit breaking for lent, which I observe as a time of cleansing and self-sacrifice, even though I have no association with the Catholic Church. In some respects, I just view New Year’s Day as the 8th day of Christmas.
So the only “resolution” I am making for this lucky year is to meditate on clutter and find ways to remove as much of it as I can from my life so that I may act in a more focused manner as well as to be able to tend to people more and things less. For those of you reading this who happen to know someone who has struggled with the symptoms of depression, like I have, you will also know that clutter easily accumulates in our lives and bogs us down.
So some ways I can de-clutter my life, and which you should feel free to join in and add to if your feel so motivated:
- De-clutter my house. Apply Feng Shui to rooms.
- Act from reason not superstition. This is a mental uncluttering.
- De-clutter my body with regular cleanses and fasting.
The real New Year psychologically for me the last several years has shifted to be the Chinese New Year. This year it falls on Sunday, February 10th. The Black Water Snake is the animal element for the year. You can find out more about the complete 64 year cycle of year types here if you are interested.
Simple concepts we can employ to frame our actions in ways that motivate us to act from a grounded, well thought approach could come from anywhere. I am trying to craft frames for myself that are simple and personally meaningful. The snake is an uncluttered animal to my mind so the consistency of symbols reinforces my belief that this will be a workable concept that will help me have a good year in which I can focus, streamline, and act in ways that benefit the most people.
So as you might have guessed, my New Year’s celebration is fairly low-key, and today is no exception. Hubby and I made Hoppin’ John per his Southern heritage, something we do every January 1. We also drink Mimosas. Life is good. This year is and will be good. Welcome lucky and uncluttered 2013!