Sidetracked Charley

No, that is wrong. First there was the head injury. And my cognitive trainer had encouraged me to get back to my journal keeping. But books and pens and writing seemed so beyond me. But I knew that all that was very important for me. At the time I wrote two columns for a local newspaper. Typing on the computer seemed easier so I began what was at the time called an on-line journal. It at least had spell check. And the newspaper had an editor. Y!360 was the platform for my on line journal. That was in the early days of January 2002. Y!360 was a technical training ground for me as well as cognitive exercise. And it was the beginning of on line friendships. I made friends I still have today. Friends I did not have to dress up for and walk right to impress. And it was a support group. In the early days it seemed a lot of those on line were like me in being house bound or house limited. Getting dressed and going to doctors' appointments was the extent of outside adventures. My...

Bridge to Nowhere? Facebook has been full of glitches and viruses for several weeks. Today it took our rather successful and quite fun little photographic group, Picture Picks, and reduced the members from 131 to 12. It won't let us communicate with any of the 131 to let them know what is going on. Since we have a new event running we opened it for ease in posting whether Facebook thinks you are a member or not. It has gotten me wondering why I am a member of Facebook. Seems the last couple weeks friends have left or been bounced off because of viruses and malware. Facebook continues to not vet any of its applications and oddly people seem to continue to play them and spread the disease. And lately posts seem to be all about "repost this if you agree." I hated chain letters as a child, hated chain e-mails as an adult, and loath this repost thing that is going on. So the question is to stay or not stay. If FB would allow it I would keep my fanpage and delete my pro...

Communications are at the best of times at cross purposes. Even when we are in the same room and we have inflection and body language to add to our understanding of the words we think we hear. Written words should be clearer because generally we have a wider vocabulary at our fingertips and the chance to reread and edit. I worked as a free lance writer for small publications for a number of years and still submit an article or two. I found quickly that the first read through I am likely to read what I thought I wrote. So I generally let it settle a bit before coming back to it and giving it another once over. I am often shocked at my second take. That clearly was not what I intended to say and so I rephrase it. But there are often those times when you come up against a deadline and don't have the grace of time on your side. I suppose that is what retractions are all about. But experienced writers generally hit the mark. If the upset a certain segment of their readership it is ...

A funny thing happened this morning. I opened Twitter first. And then Travels with Charley that has my most extensive blog list. I have been reading Shouting at Street Lights by my 360 friend Michael (Muttley de Arf Arf) and Treesparrow's Twitterings by Treesparrow who I met there too. And then a great poem by my old friend Catfishred at Catfish Tales . And another by Aimless Joys . Then I was off to the pages of the people I have met on Blogger like bekkieann of Red State Blues . And then, of course, Margaret and Helen at wordpress. I finally swung back to Y!360 my old home blog. It has been rather quiet there of late and no doubt the problems with posting comments and blogs has been an issue for some. In fact it has been easier to send messages or post on profile on Yahoo or Twitter. I have tried Facebook and cannot see its draw quite frankly. I am using the 5 second rule to avoid malware is my excuse but basically I just find it boring. All the blogs I have listed above hav...