My Random Thought #8

 Making Websites Better?

   Why do all websites think they have to change them and call it making them better. Yes, Blogspot is one of them. I have to click on a lot more places to do most things to post on my blog now. Yesterday I went to Facebook and had no idea how to use it. It had all changed with no warning. They change them around and make it so no one can figure out what they need to do. Amazon did it recently as have some others I go to. Windows does it every year with their newest computer. If it works - don't mess with it.  People get upset when they can't figure out a website they have been using with out any trouble and now it's all different. 

My Random Thought #7

 Telephone Information

      For about 12 years of my working history I worked as a telephone representative for several different call centers, mostly doing catalog sales. Yes, it was right before catalog sales went from being a telephone thing to being an online sales things. I, also, did a lot of telephone answering at the several retail sales stores that I worked at. Sometimes it seems as if all I have ever done is talk to strangers on a phone. 

    Now that I have retired I find I have to call a business for some reason or another more than I ever had to do when we didn't have cell phones and computers. And it seems as if the people you have to talk to do not give out good information. I usually end up hanging up, and mad because I can't get the information I need. 

First - over half of the people who answer when you call are in another country and I can't understand them and they can't understand me. 

Second - no one ever seems to really care about your problem. They want to get you off the phone and get on to their next call as fast as possible. This problem is caused by the company they work for. They are supposed to keep a call as short as possible. I had to do this even when I was doing phone work but it seems worse now. 

Third - it seems as if they are trying to make me mad so I will hang up and the call will be short. It has happened so many times now I expect it and I. I am ready to hang up as soon as I get a person on the line. 

Forth - Oh and to get a person to talk to, you have to go through dozens of recorded options before you can talk to an actual person - if you get to talk to one at all. 

The other day I called a bank and was told to press 1 for options. Pressing 1 I was then told to press 2 for more options. Pressing 2 I was told to press 3 for more options. Mind you there were never any options. This went on to Press 5 when I got disgusted and started pressing 00000000000000 and got to a person who then wasn't able to answer my question about my account telling me I had to get the information on the internet and hung up on me. 

I certainly hope I never left a customer feeling as mad and disgusted as I have lately been on the phone. I know I always tried to answer questions to the best of my ability and if I couldn't I put them through to someone who could. 

My Random Thought #6

 Trees, Fruit, and Nuts? 

        Cherries hang on cherry trees. Apples grow on apple trees.  You get pears from pear trees. I can't think of a fruit that isn't the same name as the tree it comes from. The same with nut trees. Walnuts grow on walnut trees. Pecans grow on pecan trees. Almonds on almond trees. Hickory nuts on hickory trees. But----- but oak trees have acorns. Why is that? Why don't oak trees have oaks. Now that sounds weird. Or maybe it would be better if acorns grew on acorn trees. 

      Even worse  ----- any fruit or nut that is commonly eaten can be eaten raw. (or cooked) But ---- again, but acorns have to go through a long drawn out process of leaching the tannin out of the acorn before people can eat either the acorn or, more commonly, the flour that is made out of ground acorns. We have several large oak trees in our yard but I am not about to take on the job of making flour out of acorns.

    And don't expect to plant an oak tree and have acorns in a couple of years like you would with an apple tree. It usually takes about 20 years before there are acorns on a young tree. A lot of times they don't do much until about 50 years of age. That is why we should never cut an oak tree unless it is really needed. I am guessing that the huge oak tree in our front yard is about 200 years old. It produces lots of acorns to feed the birds, squirrels, and deer.  

     Acorns are poison to dogs, horses, cattle, sheep and goats, too. But deer eat them. As do squirrels and other rodents and many kinds of birds. 

   Interesting what you can learn when you think of something and then look it up on the internet.

The first photo is of a string of oak blossoms on the oak tree in my front yard. I am not sure what kind of oak it is. I couldn't find my photos of the whole tree but I am guessing it is about 50 feet tall. The base looks like it is more that 2 feet through the trunk. I couldn't find any photo of the acorns either. Guess I need to go take photos of the whole tree and the acorns. 

Having the dog by the base of the oak tree gives more of a perspective of it's size. There is a metal bench on the other side of the tree. 

My Random Thought #5

 Fried Green Tomatoes? 

Why don't stores sell green tomatoes so we can have fried green tomatoes year round? Most of us can only have them if we grow them ourselves or know some one that has an over abundance of green tomatoes in their garden. And it seems most people love fried green tomatoes. I know we do.

Update - for those of you who have not had fried green tomatoes. They taste similar to fried zucchini squash. Slice the green tomato, cutting out the center part where the blossom was. Heat cooking oil to where it is hot enough to fry something.  Dunk in a mixture of flour, salt and pepper (some times I add a bit of cornmeal to this mix). Lay tomatoes with mix on them into the hot oil. Fry until as brown as you want it. Remove from oil and drain on paper towel. These are good as soon as cool enough to eat. I even like them left over and right out of the refrigerator.

My Random Thought #4

 Voting

Why is it so difficult to find how to request an absentee ballet to vote in the November election? Just spent over a half hour going to all the sites for Kentucky voting and Carroll county voting and still can't find where to apply for an absentee ballet. Plus the County clerks office apparently isn't open as they don't answer the phone. I guess they don't want anyone to vote. 

Update - I was finally able to find the place where you order ballets and got it done. Now if we can get the election over with. 

My Random Thought #3

       It's Labor Day. The only people that get it off are those that work in an office. Government, banks, schools. Those in retail sales are all working. We know why it is called Labor Day.

My Random Thoughts #2

      Why is it I can hear and understand what is said on older TV shows that were made before 1980 better than I can understand and hear on the very new TV shows. And without having to turn the sound up as high. In fact the old black and white TV shows sound better that any thing newer. The mood music on the older shows can be quite irritating but mood music on new shows usually over powers what ever is being said. Are the afraid that what is being said doesn't make any since? It's like they think the viewers want to hear awful music instead of the dialog. And it's not just TV shows. Movies can be even worse. When trying to watch a newer movie on TV I end up turning the sound down so the music doesn't hurt my ears and having to turn it way up to hear the dialog. Thee have been lots of time I have given up watching movies and show because of this problem. 

My Random Thoughts For Today #1

 The Golden Years?

That's what I have always heard that the last years of your life are called. The years after you retire. Well, I don't think so. I sure haven't found any gold in the 10 years or so since I retired. Neither has my husband. Or any one else I know that has retired. The only thing we seem to find is years of bad health, pain and lack of money. So would some one please tell me what is so great about retirement. I would go back to work but my health won't let me.