The Vent and Rant Thread

[kindlekitten]

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

It's easy. The triangle becomes a pyramid!


Stitchawl

[Stitchawl]

Actually, our bigger problem may be gunfire. There have been sporadic shots exchanged between Thai soldiers and Burmese, and riding the smaller back roads through the jungle, it may be difficult to be sure that we haven't accidentally crossed a border. One of the roads we plan to ride follows the border quite closely...

We had this same problem about 15 years ago on our very first trip through that area. We were stopped by a very serious road-block of heavily-armed soldiers who mistook us for an International (American/Japanese) news team investigating a massacre of a small hill tribe village just inside the Burmese border by a rogue Thai general and his soldiers. When they saw all my photographic equipment, they were sure we were there only to report on their illegal actions, and thought they might be better off if we were to disappear in the jungle. We were completely unaware of what was happening at the time, only learning of it a few days later when a warning was sent out by the US Embassy, although we did notice the smoke (they burned down the whole village claiming it was a center for drug smuggling. It most likely was... Opium is STILL a major cash crop in this region,) just over the hill... They finally decided that we were just lost tourists and let us go, but it was pretty tense for a couple of hours.

Good maps really would be welcome.


Stitchawl

[covingtoncat73]

That sounds really scary, Stitch!

Three things are bugging me this morning. I let myself get into a bit of a stupid Internet argument. Let me just say I'm shocked at the number of people who don't think handwriting is worth learning. It is very sad they don't think learning to write without the aid of a keyboard is worthwhile and, yes, that means cursive.

The other things are physical. Why do I, at the age of 42, have a blemish on my chin. A bad enough one to hurt, at that.

Also, my weigh-in is tomorrow morning. I've been a good WW girl this week but I am, for some reason, retaining fluid. It may be because I've gone back to drinking diet coke this week. This is an issue for me and I am on medication for it but it is not strong enough to keep it completely down. The Dr. won't give me a stronger diuretic because I'm only 42 and that wouldn't be good for my kidneys in the long-term.

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by covingtoncat73

That sounds really scary, Stitch!

It was. Scary enough to remember it vividly today... And I remember that we weren't the only one's scared. Most of the soldiers were young... many in their late teens or early 20's, and they were as scared as we were, though at the time I couldn't figure out why. Learning of the massacre later, I realized that they knew they had not only broken the law, but killed innocent women and children too, and if we really were an International fact-finding team, they were as good as dead themselves.

Also, my weigh-in is tomorrow morning. I've been a good WW girl this week but I am, for some reason, retaining fluid. It may be because I've gone back to drinking diet coke this week. This is an issue for me and I am on medication for it but it is not strong enough to keep it completely down. The Dr. won't give me a stronger diuretic because I'm only 42 and that wouldn't be good for my kidneys in the long-term.

Lots of tea! Just like beer, you never get to 'keep' tea. You only 'borrow' it for a few hours, then you have to give it back! Tea is a very powerful diuretic.

Stitchawl

[covingtoncat73]

That is a great idea, Stitch! I have to see if the campus Starbucks is open. Their hours are weird and few. I think my good weigh-in last Saturday was partially due to all the iced tea I drank at the conference lunch the Friday before.

[pdurrant]

Perhaps a kettle and a teapot would be a good investment, if you like tea and it agrees with you?

[covingtoncat73]

Also, good lord, Stitch! Yikes!

PD, that is probably a good idea. I had a little electric kettle in my dorm room back in the day and used it for tea, instant coffee, instant soup, and instant cocoa. I should totally keep one in my office.

[pdurrant]

I was in Denver for a few months back in 2000/2001, and I remember how hard it was to find an electric kettle or a teapot for sale. But hundreds of coffee makers! I suppose Amazon now makes it easy.

[kindlekitten]

Diet coke is done bad sh*it Maynard. You need to stay several counties away from it

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

I was in Denver for a few months back in 2000/2001, and I remember how hard it was to find an electric kettle or a teapot for sale. But hundreds of coffee makers! I suppose Amazon now makes it easy.

Amazon makes everything easier! They don't always have the best price, but when you factor in how easy it is to find something with a specific feature or quality, they are a huge resource.

Originally Posted by kindlekitten

Diet coke is done bad sh*it Maynard. You need to stay several counties away from it

Amen. Hear her! I have finally kicked the Diet Coke habit after a lifetime of Coke, then Tab, then Diet Coke. Yes, I still miss it. But one day at a time.

[covingtoncat73]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

I was in Denver for a few months back in 2000/2001, and I remember how hard it was to find an electric kettle or a teapot for sale. But hundreds of coffee makers! I suppose Amazon now makes it easy.

PD, I just got this: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

and this:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

My tea at work needs will be fulfilled.

[Hitch]

I'm so irritated with internet companies that provide Service X, that have ZERO pricing information on their websites.

Interestingly, while in the midst of completely redoing our site, I've been dithering about whether to be more or less detailed about our pricing (as each book is essentially a custom project, no matter how simple or complex, and our clients don't seem to really understand how to evaluate their own files for this or that). However, I've been looking for someone to provide a specific service to me (trusted indpendent reviews, like TrustPilot, essentially). After this past week, going from one "try this free for two weeks" freemium model platform to another, and then finding out that any hope I would ever have of affording those services is absolutely non-existent, I've realized that I need to at least put enough detail on OUR so that people can rule THEMSELVES out (or in).

I actually laughed aloud in someone's face (metaphorically) yesterday on the phone, when he told me that their services are "only" about $900/month. It's just ludicrous to not at least put some type of pricing range on a website, so that small businesses like mine don't waste valuable hours working on a freemium trial that they can't POSSIBLY afford. Not for an adjunct service.

I know that I think that our (my company's) services are cheap, but y'know, "cheap" is relative. The Trustpilot people probably think that what they offer is cheap, too, in their niche, so....the bright note is, at least I have an answer to my own dithering about whether to put "call us" or "contact us" on the website, versus a more-detailed pricing table.

But I'm still annoyed as crap--make someone rummage around on a website where trying to figure out pricing or even contact for an hour or two, email them, call them, and still, have ZERO idea if I can afford their services? UGHGHGHGHGHGH!!! (Yeah, I'm talking to YOU, Reevoo!!!)

Hitch

[CRussel]

I couldn't agree more, Hitch. It's so frustrating. Though I've pretty much come to the conclusion that if a company can't manage to put the basic pricing information on their web site, I can't afford them. And yes, I realize that in your business especially, each job is a custom job with variables. But I should still be able to figure out at least the RANGE I'm looking at, with some understanding of what the variables are and how they affect the cost.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by CRussel

I couldn't agree more, Hitch. It's so frustrating. Though I've pretty much come to the conclusion that if a company can't manage to put the basic pricing information on their web site, I can't afford them. And yes, I realize that in your business especially, each job is a custom job with variables. But I should still be able to figure out at least the RANGE I'm looking at, with some understanding of what the variables are and how they affect the cost.

Hi, Charlie:

I agree. We've had fairly detailed pricing, more or less, since time immemorial, but I get asked about it SO much, by people that don't bother to read the site, that I was a bit...I dunno, frustrated. (I get the same way about our hundreds of FAQ articles, the Handbook [84 pages], the FAQ ATTACK! [2 pages], the Kids' book handbook {I forget now}, etc.) I mean, you gotta wonder, why bother putting in all the time, to make all the information available, if no one is going to use it?

BUT...the experience with TrustPilot and Reevoo this week has simply strengthened my resolve that it's better to have the info, and have them ignore it, than to not have it. I mean, we already get folks that are Fiverr-price-expectant ("What? You charge MORE than $25 for a lousy eBook?" "No, I charge more than that for a GOOD eBook. LOUSY ones cost double."), so...

You're right. I 'spect that the old saying, "if you have to ask, you can't afford it" applies to pretty much anything in the cottage industry that has sprung up around SEO and feeding Google. It boggles my mind that there are keyword tools out there that cost not hundreds, but THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS PER YEAR to use. I mean, really? THOUSANDS? When you're done searching, does it give you a reacharound? (Sorry to be crass, but, that was better than the other phrase that jumped to mind....)

Grumpily, on a Friday, (on a day in which not one but two customers want to know why I can't just "put the book on their computers so they can see it" {SIGH}),

Hitch

[kindlekitten]

Hey Helen! How much do you charge?

*ducks and runs *