The Vent and Rant Thread

[phenomshel]

ARGHHH!!!! I am so frustrated right now with a group of authors I could spit. I joined what I thought was a cozy mysteries discussion group on Yahoo. Turned out to be mostly authors of cozy mysteries, which is great. I love interacting with authors, and some of these are favorites of mine. It's like being in a V.I.P. fan club.

However, it's becoming more and more apparent that most of these people do not have a clue what is in their publishing contracts. I don't get it. If I'm signing a contract, I'm going to hire a lawyer to go through it line by line and explain it to me in plain English. I'm going to know what, when, where, and why for every single point. And if I don't like something, I'm sending the darn thing back and demanding it be changed, or it doesn't get signed. I don't care if said contract pertains to my first-born, if I don't like it, I'm not signing it.
Evidently, I'm in a distinct minority.
I finally got frustrated enough to ask them (as a group) why they don't demand more control over what's released and in what format and when, or at least insist to be better informed about that. I got the email equivalent of a blank stare.

[Nate the great]

Originally Posted by phenomshel

ARGHHH!!!! I am so frustrated right now with a group of authors I could spit. I joined what I thought was a cozy mysteries discussion group on Yahoo. Turned out to be mostly authors of cozy mysteries, which is great. I love interacting with authors, and some of these are favorites of mine. It's like being in a V.I.P. fan club.

Can you point me at the group? I'd like to read the messages.

[RickyMaveety]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

I had the newest drivers possible. So, I first thought it was that. I restored an old image (with the somewhat older driver which had worked since march), but no sigar... As I'm seeing it at the bios, it can't be the driver as the drivers haven't been loaded yet...

I think the card fried (partly), just enough to show artifacts but not enough to completely kill it. And that putting it in my husband's pc, that's to easy his mind that I'm not imagining it so I can buy a new one



It only happens to some more often than others

Yeah, but it's a little odd that they aren't showing up in Windows Safe Mode. I mean, if the card is fried ... even partly .... why would safe mode be any different than the view at the bios level??

It's rather odd, don't you think? However, if you've already tested the monitor, and you're certain your drivers are up to date, then I suppose it has to be the card (unless there is some problem with the connection at the mobo level -- which is also why I suggested you stick your husband's card in your machine and see if that changes anything. You know his card works, so if it doesn't work in your machine, then you've got another problem.)

Which reminds me, I got all the parts in today to upgrade my neighbor's laptops (I'm knee deep in 2.5 SATA and PATA drives, and all sorts of memory chips .... wheeeeee!).

[phenomshel]

Originally Posted by Nate the great

Can you point me at the group? I'd like to read the messages.

Sure, look for a PM.

[LazyScot]

ARGGGGGGGGGGH!

*&^)!%$ azerty keyboards mis-set mapping translation indirection software inexplicably random remote multisite teleconferenced miscommunication debugging nightmares.

And, with the kind tolerance of the audience, could I please add

*&*!, $££% and &^+@

with a side order of

#?$!, &^(!:<~ and $%&!@;#*

I shall now, on the grounds of an absence of medical advice, adjourn to Adrian's Bar and order a couple of Taliskers and a ZCD.

[zelda_pinwheel]

aw ! poor lazy scot. as someone who is perfectly at ease on an azerty keyboard but who has suffered extreme and prolonged frustration at the hands (keys ?) of a qwerty keyboard, i do understand how such things can lead to outbursts of violent rage. and all those other words clearly can only exacerbate the situation. i hope the problem is either resolved or moot very soon... and i hope those zcds help ! i'm having one myself, to get over annoyingly figurative feedback from clients.

[kazbates]

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

aw ! poor lazy scot. as someone who is perfectly at ease on an azerty keyboard but who has suffered extreme and prolonged frustration at the hands (keys ?) of a qwerty keyboard, i do understand how such things can lead to outbursts of violent rage. and all those other words clearly can only exacerbate the situation. i hope the problem is either resolved or moot very soon... and i hope those zcds help ! i'm having one myself, to get over annoyingly figurative feedback from clients.

I'm going out on a limb here and admitting that I've never actually seen a keyboard other than a QWERTY. I learned touch typing in high school (Thanks, Mr. Peterson ) and, to this day, I believe it was the best class I could have taken with the most useful skill to learn.

[DixieGal]

Originally Posted by kazbates

I'm going out on a limb here and admitting that I've never actually seen a keyboard other than a QWERTY. I learned touch typing in high school (Thanks, Mr. Peterson ) and, to this day, I believe it was the best class I could have taken with the most useful skill to learn.

Well, back in my day, knowing how to type meant you had a job skill. Things changed, however, in those passing years. As my 4 nieces grew up and were in high school, I counseled them to learn to type but never put it on their resumes. For young women new to careers nowadays, it seems to have a stigma that consigns them to the secretarial pool for all time.

[LazyScot]

Originally Posted by kazbates

I'm going out on a limb here and admitting that I've never actually seen a keyboard other than a QWERTY. I learned touch typing in high school (Thanks, Mr. Peterson ) and, to this day, I believe it was the best class I could have taken with the most useful skill to learn.

They did have such a class at school; I never took it (in fact, one boy did take it, and he found it very useful). It has always been a bit of a limit but after <cough> years, whilst my typing is still pretty poor, I do manage to do it with about six fingers and one thumb.... And I can sort of touch type, though I don't "center" my fingers correctly...

Actually, the problem is not with typing. I can just about manage with the French keyboard (there are some *far* worse keyboards....). The problem is with a range of keypress translations embedded into software that should be automatically handled, but that aren't. And that I'm here in the UK and the azerty keyboard isn't. But some of the software is, apart from the bits that aren't. And that some bits we've access to. And some we don't. And they several bits of software seem to be busy re-enacting the hundred years war...

[pilotbob]

Did anyone notice how SLOW fridays go by when you are back from a two week vacation???

BOb

[kazbates]

Originally Posted by DixieGal

Well, back in my day, knowing how to type meant you had a job skill. Things changed, however, in those passing years. As my 4 nieces grew up and were in high school, I counseled them to learn to type but never put it on their resumes. For young women new to careers nowadays, it seems to have a stigma that consigns them to the secretarial pool for all time.

I suggested that my oldest two children take keyboarding (typing ) in high school. My daughter did not but my son did. He will also tell you it was one of the more useful classes too. Dixie, I had no idea that the secretarial stereotypes still exist.

Originally Posted by LazyScot

They did have such a class at school; I never took it (in fact, one boy did take it, and he found it very useful). It has always been a bit of a limit but after <cough> years, whilst my typing is still pretty poor, I do manage to do it with about six fingers and one thumb.... And I can sort of touch type, though I don't "center" my fingers correctly...

Actually, the problem is not with typing. I can just about manage with the French keyboard (there are some *far* worse keyboards....). The problem is with a range of keypress translations embedded into software that should be automatically handled, but that aren't. And that I'm here in the UK and the azerty keyboard isn't. But some of the software is, apart from the bits that aren't. And that some bits we've access to. And some we don't. And they several bits of software seem to be busy re-enacting the hundred years war...

Uh, . . . okay, then. . . um. . .Happy Hour time??!?

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Did anyone notice how SLOW fridays go by when you are back from a two week vacation???

BOb

I am SO glad that I am a kept woman!!

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by kazbates

I am SO glad that I am a kept woman!!

My goal is to someday make enough money so that I can retire and live the lifestyle of my wife and children.

BOb

[kazbates]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

My goal is to someday make enough money so that I can retire and live the lifestyle of my wife and children.

BOb

Good goal. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you!

[benham]

Well I am already retired and living in the lifestyle wife and I enjoy. Of course that's drinking beer, walking in the woods, grilling out, cheering the Packers, drinking beer, cruising and talking to you guys.

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by LazyScot

Actually, the problem is not with typing. I can just about manage with the French keyboard (there are some *far* worse keyboards....). The problem is with a range of keypress translations embedded into software that should be automatically handled, but that aren't. And that I'm here in the UK and the azerty keyboard isn't. But some of the software is, apart from the bits that aren't. And that some bits we've access to. And some we don't. And they several bits of software seem to be busy re-enacting the hundred years war...

ouch. *passes a large pitcher of zcd*

as for typing class and putting it on your cv... i get the feeling that for a lot of children today typing will be something they learn to do more or less without noticing, as they are growing up with computers.