Jackie's Quirky Musings

Since Sandy visited, I thought I'd update.

I'm still alive.

I'm writing for TV Squad over at Weblogs.Inc and still writing my The (TV) Show Must Go On...

I'm still working my day job.

That's it.  I need a nap.

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Happy New Year to all.

I'm still alive and posting entries just about daily over at Not Weird, Eccentric - A Jackie Blog.  I've set comments there to all, so a Blogspot account isn't needed.  I also have a Bloglet doohickey on my sidebar where you can set up to receive e-mails with my entries.  I'd love to see some of my old visitors over there.  I actually enjoy the Blogspot software a lot more than the AOL Journals product -- it's a lot more versatile.

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I have some difficult decisions to make.

In his rather condescending entry on AOL Journals: Magic Smoke, AOL's VP of Community Bill Schreiner wrote: "Some of you are convinced that the addition of ads destroys that experience.  I am less certain of that."

My response to that would be, "I'm involved in a class action lawsuit against one of the main advertisers featured in the banner.  Another is a competitor of my workplace.  Please don't assume this is unimportant to me.  You don't know me.  Having those advertisers blaring from the top of my blogs, the first one in particular, destroys my personal experience."

Mr. Schreiner goes on to say, "I  can't reconcile it with the fact that we have wonderful, passionate communities thriving in ad-supported pages in message boards, Groups, Chat, Hometown, Email, AIM... really across the entire network both inside the paid service and out."

My response: "I don't use Hometown for my web page due to the advertisements.  As for Groups, Chat, Email and message boards -- those are not of the personal endeavor manner such as AOL Journals.  If the ads were in my email, not just on the screen, I wouldn't use AOL email.  The ads are not a part of the email in the way they are a part of the Journals.  AIM ads are an entirely different matter.  AIM is free; free should always expect ads in my way of thinking.  My account is a member account, not an AIM name."

Mr. Schreiner goes on to say, "Since AOL Journals had no ads for so long, I can understand why some believed that they never would.  Some of you have moved on because of this and that's understandable too. We're sorry this change has affected the way you feel about us. We thank you for the contribution you made while you were here. We will miss your words. We will miss your passion."

I respond, "This is a shocking statement from the company addressed to paying members of the service.  In this one segment alone, you may as well say end it with '... and don't let the door hit you on the way out.'  I cannot believe this attitude of a company official aimed towards members of the service.  Don't we mean anything to AOL?"

Mr. Schreiner continues, "We've also learned how important the J-Land community is to the majority of you who have elected to stay. You are important to this community and to us, and we appreciate the understanding and support that you've shown. A special thanks to all the folks who have thrown a virtual hug around Joe here at Magic Smoke and in email. Thank you for putting this bump in the road in your rearview mirror. We're excited about moving on as well."

I say, "I'm just about speechless at this point.  The MAJORITY of folks are against the banners.  Some tried other services, encountered a learning curve and returned.  Many stayed in hopes that AOL would actually listen to members... for a change (the track record as of late in that regard is horrible).  Many of those who have spoken out haven't attacked Joe -- I know I haven't.  Heck, if I were one of the ones who posted little glowing comments in his blog, I'd feel like a good puppy getting a pat on the head with this part of the entry. Was this part even necessary?  What are you going to do?  Will the special folks get special ads or something?  Moving on?  What about all the logical and polite (I might add) compromise solutions in lieu of huge flashing banners?  What of choice of ads?  What of smaller ads in the sidebars or on the bottom?  Moving on with no consideration of those suggestions which wouldn't make everything all right, but the ad at least wouldn't take over the journal at first sight?  Once again, I'm appalled."

Mr. Schreiner: "I've asked the team to double down and speed up the delivery of some new features you've requested. They are eager to get to it.  Some of my favorites that are coming before the end of the year:..."

I say: "To be honest, I'm not concerned with those changes.  I'm more concerned about the lack of value of an AOL Member to the AOL service.  There is a crisis here -- one caused by AOL making a wrong-minded decision and unexpectedly launching it without any consideration for the members who pay to be a part of AOL.  There is a crisis here -- one which isn't going to just be swept under the rug.  As a member I know that advertising is important to the business.  However, as a member, I expect better treatment from AOL.  As a member, I would expect it to be a priority to look into the possiblities of less intrusive ad styles for Journals if you feel ads are necessary.  Buddy Lists and Journal listings are usually very different.  Why would we want that when we'd prefer an alternative to the huge animated ads thrown atop our Journals?"

Today, according to my profile, marks my 10th anniversary as an AOL Member.  I actually had another account a few years before that, too.  I've been a very pro-AOL member for most of that time, recommending the service to family and friends; being a Volunteer Community Leader doing programming, writing content, hosting message boards and chat, helping other members whenever I could at the drop of a hat.  I cared about AOL... probably as much, if not more, than many of those who worked for the company.

I've seen it change over the years.  I first signed on with Version 2.0.  It was a magical place where communities were thriving and friendships grew.  At this time, all of that magic is available to free AIM members... including the relatively new magic of J-Land.  As AOL members, many of us with several years here, the only member benefits which are ours are the email, safety stuff, spam blockers, parental controls and KOL.  I don't have any children, so the last two mean nothing to me.  I have used my own anti-virus methods for years.  AOL's tend to freeze my computer.  Even the cheapest Internet services around have email, spam blockers and more. 

I have a question... since AOL is giving almost all of Community away for free to AIM, why aren't our charges as paying members going down?  We are paying for less Community as each month goes by and AOL is making money from garish banner ads slapped on everything in sight, including our personal thoughts.  In this entry, Mr. Schreiner has made it obvious that they don't care if members leave.

AOL Community used to have a slogan -- "Community, the Heart of AOL."  Nowadays, it seems, "AOL Community, Free For All and don't let the door hit you on the way out if you're a paying member."

I'm beyond saddened here.  The 2-Faced Baseball will find a new home eventually.  My other blog --  Not Weird, Eccentric - A Jackie Blog will be updated regularly.  My only plans for this one will be perhaps instructional uses of how to use Bloglines or feeds readers to keep up on when I post new entries.  As for the show blogs on my other name, it's time I earned money from them (not someone earning money off of me).  As those have developed a sizable following I'm looking into venues which would actually pay me or possibly even a domain with my choice of ads to support them.  Not AOL's choice of ads and certainly not an animated huge ad banner.

Happy ten years to me.  I guess.

Added note at 9:37 AM ET -- the motorcyle just jumped into the journal as I went to view it.  So much for that going away.

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I urge anyone reading this on AOL or the Web to boycott ANY company featured in the ad banner at the top of this Journal.  The obnoxious banner ads have been forced on AOL customers paying the highest rates in the USA for "service."

Boycott making "regular" blog entries.  Boycott ANY AND ALL companies featured in the banner ads.

For "real" entries from this point forward --> My new free BLOGSPOT blog with NO AD BANNERS is located right here. <-- click it!

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Since AOL decided to throw obnoxious, annoying, slow loading, horrible ad banners across the top of paying customers blogs, this journal is on a boycott.

Content will continue here --> Not Weird, I'm Eccentric - A Jackie Blog -- a FREE BlogSpot blog with NO FLASHING AD BANNERS ACROSS THE TOP.

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A New Jersey Coke Dealer?  Exactly what kind of "coke" are we talkin' about here? 

Well, today's the deadline!  New Jersey is looking for a new state slogan to replace the oh-so-lame "New Jersey and You."

Some of the suggestions in the NJ Star Ledger article - The good, the bad and the totally bizarre are:

"We're All You Need."
"New Jersey Loves Somebody, Anybody, Everybody."
"Watchful & Waiting."
"A Pleasant Place to Live, Work and Play."
"What's It To You?"
"Big Hair, Big Heart, Big Fun."
"The State That Looks Like George Washington."
"Leave Your Heart in San Francisco & Take Your Wallet to New Jersey."
"Home of the Free, the Brave and the Best Shoppers on the Planet."
"Great Place to Visit, You Just Can't Afford to Move Here."
"Three-quarters of the State Is Really Nice."
"Most of Our Elected Officials Have Not Been Indicted."
"We've Got Three Really, Really Big Roads."
"If Living Here Were Easy, It Would Be Another State."
"We Don't Need No Stinkin' Slogan."
"The Traffic Will Kill You, Have a Nice Day."

Joe Pesci and Robert DiNiro approached the Governor and suggested, "New Jersey: You Got a Problem With That?"

I have an evil streak.  I bolded the ones I like.  ;-)

I'd also throw in the Suggestion Pot a few of my own:

New Jersey: Only the Strong Survive
New Jersey: Where You Take a Right to Take a Left
New Jersey: We Don't All Talk Funny
New Jersey: The Most Densely Populated With People and Malls
New Jersey: Not All Refinery Tanks and Chemical Dumps
New Jersey: If You Can Drive Here, You Can Drive Anywhere
New Jersey: Home of Jersey Barriers
New Jersey: How Ya Doin'
New Jersey: We're Sensitive... Don't Tease Us!
New Jersey: From McMansions to Slums, We Rule

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I call this shot "Autumn Glory Suspended on a Wire." 

I realize I've been a bit remiss in my blogging this past week.  In addition to a rather hectic work week, I've caught a head cold.  Achoo!  Now, it's nothing serious, but I've been coming home feeling Groggy, Achy, and Sneezy... a collection of dwarves, y'see.  I blame this illness on the general public.  All the time I was in relative seclusion with the knee woes I didn't have any colds.  I go out in public and WHAM. 

However, I'm spending a nice leisurely Sunday at home.  A bit later I'll have to make a groceries run.  But for now, I've just finished an absolutely heavenly mineral salts bath; I have a cup of coffee here and I'm in a writing kind of mood.  On Sunday mornings I tune into 'CBS Sunday Morning' not only to see Charles Osgood's latest bowtie, but because they often have very neat stuff on the show.  Today, amongst other stories, they did a segment on Bruce Springsteen.  It's been 30 years since his first hit album 'Born to Run' hit the charts.  Huh.  Thirty years ago I couldn't tell you about thirty years back.  But, now, in so many ways, it seems like just yesterday...

The year was 1975.  I was 19 for most of that year, turning 20 in mid-September.  The world was mine to behold.  I was carrying a full college load at Albany State; working as an assistant security manager of a big local department store; supporting my 1973 Ford Maverick, an apartment in the ethnically Italian section of Albany, my young cat who liked to jump up in people's faces to tear off their eyeglasses and I was livin' the life.  I had been on my own since the age of sixteen when I started college, but 1975 was the first year I felt like a full-fledged adult.

The music scene at the time was eclectic, the war was over and it was still a time of youthful wildness and indiscretions.  At least for me, it was.  I had a group of single friends from my workplace who would each rotate cooking a dinner every Thursday night and we'd go to a nearby bar on Friday nights where I discovered it would be many, many years before alcohol and I could tolerate each other.  Alas, I've lost touch with those friends over the years, but we certainly had some great times.

Back in '75 in New York, the drinking age was 18, so for that part of my exploration period, I was "legal."  <grin>  The first gay bars were starting to open in town and it was there that the dancing and disco scene thrived.  We'd occasionally make that circuit in our travels, but more often ended up at the local dive right near the workplace.  It had a jukebox, darts and a couple of pool tables.  What more did we need?  We weren't so much into the dancing... we were socializers.  I learned many lessons at that bar.  I learned that if you were the personnel manager and you drank too much and made a fool of yourself, folks would always remember it.  I learned that rusty nails (the drink) seem to go down well until you go to get up off the barstool.  <thunk>  I learned it's better to sip and watch others ruin their reputations.

Oh, and then there were the dinners.  Single guys and gals experimenting often for the first time cooking more than fish sticks and for more than a crowd of one!  Our dinner cooking group had about five in it with a few additional hangers-on who lived with parents, thus didn't do their share of the cooking but surely ate and partied with us.  I remember hits with pot roast, turkey and lobster that made me realize I could indeed cook more than just to throw a steak in a frying pan and open up a can of vegetables.

The times were a lot different from today.  Today, mind you, I'm a very um... matured (?)... sedate (?)... um... grown-up, I guess... (sigh)... middle-aged kind of person who tends to not break any laws.  But back in my college days and the period immediately after, I will admit I had a bit of experimentation when it comes to the uh... wilder side.  Pot and LSD were big in those years and I was a lot more risky about things back then.  Of course, in 1975, cocaine was lumped with being poor and heroin addicts on darkened street corners.  It wasn't 'til the 80's that it was somehow deemed as "in."  (And, that one is a very dangerous one... I'm glad it's "out" again.  It's a horrible, horrible drug which will ruin your life.)  As for the two I mentioned, the dealers were often friends and it certainly wasn't like today with guns and all.  We were the hippie-freak anti-war protesting crowd, after all.  We were peaceniks.  Perhaps it was the pot which made our potluck dinners taste so good.  ;-) 

Ah, but back to the music.  I know that my brother gave me the 'Born to Run' album in late '75 telling me it was good stuff and this is a guy to watch.  I have my ups and downs with Springsteen.  Some of his stuff is classic, sometimes his image is way overblown, but I tend to fall for his lyrics.  But that album was indeed different from the rest of the charts that year.  It was new and inspiring.  In 1975 some of the singles hitting the charts were The Hustle (do the Hustle!); Captain and Tenille were singing that love would keep them together; the BeeGees were Jive Talkin'; KC and the Sunshine Band were Getting Down Tonight; Barry Manilow was singing about Mandy; the Ohio Players were on Fire and more.  My favorite hits from that year were David Bowie's 'Fame'; LaBelle's 'Lady Marmalade'; Janis Ian's second one hit wonder that I identified with - 'At Seventeen'; Harry Chapin's magical 'The Cat's in the Cradle' and more.  But we're talking a year which still had Frankie Valle and the Four Seasons, John Denver, the Carpenters, Olivia Newton-John, Glen Campbell... and here comes Springsteen with the E Street Band.  Whoa.  The times they were a'changin'.

That was a magical year in Albany.  Soon career aspirations would take me out of the Albany area and closer to NYC, but I'll never forget the friends and the times as the newly-fledged adulthood set in.

Oh, and I can still cook.  :-)

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This is a shot I took of some neat fungus growing on a sawed close to the ground tree stump. 

I'm SO behind on my blogging!  This week's 'Amazing Race' was a two hour ordeal and my review/recap of that for my show blog took up a few hours in the morning yesterday.  Then the electrician arrived to do some wiring work in my apartment.  Now, I knew he'd be here one day and I prefer to be home when strangers are lurking or working in my apartment, so it's good it was my day off.  BUT... we're talking electrician here.  I was sans computer and/or electricity on and off for a few hours.  Grr.  By then I had errands I had to run and then I was beat last night and conked out early.  I have to catch up with the meme posted by Betty.  But, for tonight, the one posted by Francis here ---> Getting to know you... is easier.  I just finished my recap/review of tonight's 'Survivor' for that blog, so my mind is fried.  Oh, and I was up at 6 this morning.  Oh, and I want to watch Steve Martin on Letterman tonight.  Hmmm... I guess I'll sleep when I'm dead.  <grin> 

What color are your kitchen plates?

It depends.  Medium sized are white with a maroon band around the edge.  The big good ones are white with one offset pink rose.

What is on your mouse pad?

I had a mouse pad crisis.  Right now I'm on a real old one that I didn't use for years, maybe a decade.  It's for a computer game called "I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream" -- the game is on my Windows 95 computer, so it's old.  It's based on a Harlan Ellison story.

What is your favorite game?

Scrabble

Do you like peas?

Yes, although I liked canned or uncooked raw from the pods.  I don't like frozen peas.

What song are you listening to now? If not listening to a song now, what is the most recent song you heard?

I have the news on now.  For some reason, all day at work I had the old America song "Horse With No Name" in my mind if that counts.  'Cuz there ain't no one for to cause you no pain.

What is your biggest pet peeve while driving?

I have so many!  Cars in the passing lane not passing is the worst, I guess.

Do you make your bed every morning?

No.  I live alone.  When I put fresh linens on, I make the bed!  :-)

What is your favorite Thanksgiving food?

Sausage stuffing which my mother made but never gave anyone the recipe.  She died when I was young and I experiment every year trying to match it.

Who was the first person you ever kissed?

Ack!  Bad memory time!  Eddie from the roller skating rink.  :X

What were you like in high school?

Weird.  :-)  Straight A's, got out at 16 for college, in the anti-war protest (Vietnam), hippie type crowd.

What was your first job?

First real job was at a summer resort greasy fried foods roadside snack bar.  I lasted two weeks.  First real job that lasted was working for the University Police Department at the college I attended.

Favorite place to travel to?

My favorite place that I do travel to is right near me -- New York City.  Where I'd like to go but have never been is a whole different story.

Who knows you better than anyone else?

Me

Do you watch scary movies? Which is your favorite?

Yes.  My all time favorite is the original Alfred Hitchcock directed 'Psycho.'

Are you an optimist or cynic?

Repressed optimist.  Or a cynic.  <grin>

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I found this little fellow (a six-pointer) at the train station on my way home from work late this afternoon.  Usually there is a group (herd?) of deer further back in the fenced-in area.  Although they seem to get in and out, I haven't found the hole in the fence yet.  I got about ten feet away from him before he bolted.  Maybe it was something I said?  All I said was, "Good deer, stay still.  I just want to shoot you."  <grin>

So, it's back to work once again.  This time I found all the paperwork since the 1st laying in stacks on my desk.  I guess filing daily is too much of a chore, eh?  I guess I shouldn't complain.  I found personnel files mixed in with the accounting files, so when filing is done, it's often odd.  @@ <-- eyeroll needed.  Duh.  Finding new and different things each time I return makes life interesting.  Or annoying.  Take your pick!  I think the smiley face welcome back post-it note atop a pile of unfiled paperwork was the touch which hit the annoying mark. 

Tomorrow's election day.  Phew.  Done and over with.  A co-worker and I discussed the election today.  She told me she's going to vote for the one who wants to legalize pot (NJ Governor race) so she can pretend it's the 60s all over again.  Hmmm... I don't recall that in there at all.  I'm going to have to research that.  I may have a tie-dyed shirt somewhere around.  I know I still have my Ravi Shankar albums.  Ohhh... even better -- I still have all my old Cheech and Chong albums!  Incense!  I could buy incense!  Oh... and I need a hookah, for sure.  And cookies.  Can't forget the cookies.

Or not.  ;-)

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"You kill 'em, we chill 'em.  You stab 'em, we slab 'em."  I took this shot at a rather neglected old cemetery in North Plainfield, NJ.  As with the sayings that start this off, it reminds me a bit of a grade school buddy whose family owned a funeral home.  His dates thought it was so thoughtful that he gave them such beautiful flowers!  If only they knew...!

It's eerie, but I enjoy walking through cemeteries in the autumn as the trees cry out with a last burst of color.  I used to do rubbings of gravestones, but haven't done that in decades.

Well, last night was the big Vivi Awards ceremony.  Thanks go to all who worked to put it together and to all the nominees and winners!  I didn't win for my 'Big Brother' blog which was a bit of a disappointment as its hit numbers hit records with AOL's member blogs.  However, the winner in the Entertainment category was a regular reader/commenter on the 'BB6' blog, so all is good.

The Baseball won for Most Creative/Original.  I'm thrilled with that!  It was up against serious creative competition and heavy hitter longtime J-Landers.  It probably is more fitting for a category of Weirdest Unusual Journal, but there isn't such a category.  Thanks go to all who voted for the Ball.

I feel bad that some of my favorites in J-Land didn't win awards and I know they're worthy!  We'll just have to rock the vote next year!

I'm also a bit saddened to read the comments in the main Vivi Journal and see that one or two posted rather nasty about the winner of a category who well deserved the win.  In that case, it's not anything to do with popularity -- I bet most of the 'In Crowd' in J-Land don't even really know the person.  It's what she has done with her journal that clinched the award.  I'd rather see that than to see some of the journals that have been relatively neglected for months nominated or winning (which happened).  Or those that didn't fit the category.  No matter who gets the win, the nominations, this is all put together by peers -- oftimes popularity and/or old friends may play a bigger role than it should.  But, it's humans.  What do we expect?

That said, I am happy that I received four nominations and won one -- a very important one to me as I like to think I'm a creative and original kind of person.  Or eccentric.  Take your pick.  I don't think I'm so much in with the In Crowd in J-Land as my main involvement is only dating back to this past spring/summer.  All my other AOL Journals before that time had to be removed as AOL eliminated its CL Program and they were under my HOST name which had to go bye-bye.

My point?  Do I have one?  I guess my point is that there are so many journals out there deserving to be nominated and/or win that each person who takes it upon himself to start and keep up at one deserves kudos!  J-Land Journalists ROCK.

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