Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Things I Don't "Get"

Call me crazy, call me half-cocked, crazy-assed, slack-jawed redneck, but don't call me Shirley!

There are many things in this old life that I just plain out "don't get".

1. Scrapbooking. I'm sorry and I don't mean to imply that people who scrapbook are as squirrel-ass nutty as I am, but PLEASE: think of the photos before you cut them out into cutesy heart-shaped or any other shaped angle. It's just not right! Sure, the pages are real cute when they're finished, but the whole thing is expensive and I still just don't "get it".

2. Facebook. I've had my Facebook account for quite some time now and I will never understand the need for some people to want to add me to their vampire club or throw a cow at me. That's just not normal. And, no one likes the abnormal like me, but time-wasters are NOT COOL. Comment or whatever, but please, for the love of pete, no more add-ons.

3. iPods - Is there a difference between an iPod/iPhone and any other MP3 player? Seriously? Until someone convinces me otherwise, Steve Jobs will continue to get 0 of my dollars.

4. People who don't send Thank You notes - it's not hard, people. Just grab a note card and write that you appreciated a gift. If you're not capable of doing that, I have no interest in sending more gifts. (This is a shout out to someone I'm related to, but I don't think they read this anyway.... just to get it off my mind, ya know?)

There are more - waaay more, but these are all I could think of off the top of my head.

42 comments:

  1. I am SO with you on the thank you notes. I try to always send one, because I know that I would appreciate the gesture. My grandmother once told me that I was the only person who ever still sends cards/letters in the mail. Really?

    OH, also, maybe you could add people who send photos of kids and don't put ages or dates on the back.

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  2. ummmmm...........
    guilty of #4

    Never understood thank you cards. I mean I said "Thank you" several times when I received the gift and meant it. So a thank you card seem redundant and almost like you expect them to thank you for thanking them. hmmmmm.... maybe it's a defect in the male genome. I think we should invest Government money in a research project!!! oh... by the way Thanks for letting me stay at your house last year....

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  3. I'm guilty of the IPod. I got the Nano for Christmas and I absolutely love it. I can download all my favorite songs and listen to it to drown out all the bullshit around me.

    As for Facebook, I am in complete agreeance. Although, I don't mind getting poked every once in awhile. Stop passing me freaking drinks and giving me plants !!!

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  4. I love to make a scrap book of a trip or some other special event. But mostly my "scrap books" consist of pasting photos to pages along with receipts and whatnot.

    I do like to put colored paper backgrounds behind them.

    It is kind of expensive, but I like to go back and remember the trip and the scrap book is a nice way to do it.

    I am not all into just putting together random stuff in a book with weird borders, though.

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  5. I hear ya ... loud and clear! The Facebook comment made me snort though. I'm constantly deleting the invitations and don't have any of that crap on my profile. And I usually duck when I see a cow coming!

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  6. LOL....agreeing with you 100% on all of the above! ;)

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  7. your pushing all of my buttons!!!!:P Apple products are great and very intuitive.
    Once you get the "a-ha" moment, you'll fall in love with the ease of use. But I've been a life long user.

    ...and also, ditto on those facebook apps. I hate when people send that stuff.

    ...we are supposed to write Thank You notes?

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  8. who thows cows? seriously!

    i use facebook but mostly to spam my blog and because "why not?" without my facebook you'd get everything from my twitter account anyway.

    i don't like the ipod all that much. or any apple product. they're all 90% awesome 10% smegma. and the smegma sticks out like a dog's prick.....

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  9. LOL I have to agree with all 4 of these.
    1- i did a kind of punk collage thing in high school, but i never liked to defile pictures. The whole scrapbooking thing missed me and i don't know why it's so pricey to get the "right" lettering?
    2- yep. I never do applications.
    3- bingo. an mp3 sounds the same on an ipod and a Sansa, the latter costs a fraction.
    4- a fellow Emily Post! Some folks don't even send an email- wtf?

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  10. Seriously, I think we were separated at birth. I agree with everything 110%!!

    Scrapping. Someone once gave me a scrapbook, I guess, because I'm an artsy type, but clearly, I am not one to cut photos into hearts. And the price? Puh-leez.

    Facebook. Precisely the reason I closed my account. I like twitter much better. Short, to the point and I can keep in touch with only the people I want to.

    iPods are cute and I love technology, but I have purchased four Zen Stone MP3's and they have fabulous sound quality. To the tiny tune of $38. Love it.

    Thank you's are my biggest pet peeve. We have a handful of people in the family who just don't get it. Shame on them!

    I guess that's what makes the world go 'round...

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  11. Just DO NOT get a Sony Walkman! They make you keep all of your music on your computer - burning up a shitload of hard disc - and they install a root kit to keep track of what you've got.

    I repeat, Do Not get a Walkman.

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  12. I must agree on the Facebook shit..
    When I go on at night I must have 80 application to go through..Snowball fights, pillow fights, plants, candy, beers, pokes,causes, there is soo much!!
    As for the Thank you cards, that annoys the hell out of me..You take the time to go get a gift, send a freaking thank you!!!
    As for the IPOd, I don't have one...haven't jumped into 2008 yet.lol..
    have a great day!!!

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  13. 1. don't know squat about scrap booking, don't want to.

    2. never did the Facebook thing, MySpace was bad enough.

    3. I prefer mp3 players that don't require a particular application to copy music files to them. My computer sees my mp3 player as a hard drive and lets me save files to it that way.

    4. I don't send thank you cards. Maybe that's why I never get gifts. Oh well.

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  14. I am so with you on the thank you notes.

    When my son fusses when I ask him to write one, I suggest that we should either write the note or give the gift back. That always gets him in a note writing mood. :)

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  15. I don't get scrapbooking either, but then I am not a big saver. I never even got around to doing baby books for my kids.

    I love Facebook for the networking. I stay in touch with all of my friends from high school and college, and without it I would be simply too busy to do so. but people who constantly send invites for inane things do make me crazy.

    I love my iPod, but it was a gift so I don't intentionally run out and buy them.

    I selectively send thank you cards to my relatives or to those for whom it would be "proper" but I call or e-mail the less formal sort, because it is faster.

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  16. I am sort of mixed on cards...if I get something in person, I don't send another note. I thank the giver on the spot. If someone sends me something though, I def. think a card is in order...or better yet, I prefer a phone call.

    On a different note, I LOL'd at fattie20xl's comment...smegma is just an awesome word!

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  17. Scrapbooking is pretty dorky in my book. And I agree, do not cut up pictures. Sometimes what's going on the background is the best part.

    Facebook is way lame and why would I want to be friends with people I hated in high school anyway. lol. I have one but made my profile info completely ridiculous and use crazy avatars as my pic.

    Ipods are easy to use and upload songs, but you can't share your songs with other ipods or friends. An ingenious Apple invention! Assholes. Mp3 players are much better.

    I've only had to do the thank you's after a wedding or birth. If I didn't do them, I would be labeled the asshole that I really am! :)

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  18. Ginger - good to know I'm in such fine company!

    Ron - saying thank you in person is acceptable. But, if the gift was sent, I think even an email is good, just to let the sender know you received it...

    The Girl - but couldn't an MP3 player also drown out noise? I really don't understand either format, so I'm just ramblin'. LOL.

    NCP - I can see a memory type book for a trip, more than I can understand hacking photos to bits. I'm a little (a smidge really) anal like that. :-)

    Crazy Mo - I barely have time to look at friends' new pictures, much less accept random invitations. LOL.

    JA - I came up on the Apple OS too, but still prefer the PC OS (yes, even Vista).

    fattie20xl - that smegma will ruin a good product every time!

    Maura - glad to meet another Emily Post!

    MsPulp - now, how am I going to view pics of your lovely children, though?

    Jay - thanks for the heads up. Duly noted!

    Suzie - Ahhh, I forgot about the pillow fights! LOL.

    Hacksaw - I think #1 and 4 are almost always strictly girly girl things, so you're good!

    3C - we used to tell Buddy that he could not open or play with the gift until the card was written. Now, I write the notes for both kids, since Sissy can't do her own yet (and the same people send both kids' gifts, so it makes sense - to me - to do one card acknowledging both gifts).

    Alex - I think email or phone call thank yous are appropriate in some circumstances, like less formal as you note.

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  19. O.M.F.G! Are you my twin sister?? Once again, you are so right on!
    Here are a few of my others:
    1. Those morons who grab the back of airline seats when they go through the aisle.
    2. Those other morons who think it's okay to lean back in coach.
    3. The same morons who don't know who has the right of way at an intersection.

    There - I said it!

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  20. No comment on Scrapbooks or Facebook, as for the iPod, I use Amazon to download mp3's, integrates with iTunes just fine and allows me the freedom to copy and use those songs on other computers, mp3 players.....

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  21. yeah but you can't take your ipod to your friends house and download their music onto your ipod unless you wipe out all your songs and use all of theirs from itunes.

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  22. I laughed at this because I am GUILTY of everthing you mentioned. EEE GADS!

    1. Scrapbooking--I do it online that way my pictures do get ruined by all the cutting, tearing.. whatever...it's perfect AND I think it's way cheaper! All you have to do is create the page(online) and then buy the printed page, walla, it's done!

    2. Ipod- OMG I LOVE my Ipod! I started with the shuffle, admittedly I didn't like that one at all, then I moved onto the Nano, great toy but the screen wasn't big enough plus at that time you couldn't download video's or anything to it. Then last Xmas I got the Ipod Touch...whoa baby that thing is awesome! YOu can watch video's, MOVIES, play games, music, listen to audio books, email...it's a mini computer right in your hands! (I must admit though, I love gadgets, so this is right up my alley!)

    3. Facebook-This one has taken me awhile to get used to but now I am Addicted! It's the easiest way to keep in touch with all my friends that I never get to see...plus you can listen to, dare I say...ITuNes on there (STEVE JOBS is everywhere I tell you!)

    4. Thank You Notes- I am terrible about it..getting better but it's a work in progress...guess Im off your gift list...damn!

    Holy cow, I don't even post this much on my own blog! LOL! I trully understand where your coming from...quite honestly there's a WHOLE lot of stuff that doesn't make sense to me!

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  23. As for the photo sharing point,you know, you are right. That is the reason I joined in the first place. Any ideas of how I could keep it strictly confidential to a few people w/out having to block people and hurt feelings? It's such a delicate balance...

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  24. ETW - I'd suggest a 90-plus-mile ride on a motorcycle to help you *get* the value of an iPod. And I'd be happy to provide the ride for you... :)

    And thanks for making me feel THIS BIG (SoLow holds index finger & thumb a hairs' breadth apart) for not sending you a note for the spoon holder. Does e-mail count? LOL

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  25. Warren - a phone call is fine, or an email. fattie20xl always cracks me up.

    Crystal Dawn - I have sent wedding gifts that went unacknowledged (and yes, I knew before the wedding the recipients were assholes, but they're related assholes, so....)

    Momma - totally agree with your three and ESP. #3 (as I don't fly).

    Anonymous - I'll probably never "get it". I'm a little clueless sometimes!

    Crystal Dawn - if I ever look into the technology more, I think I'm leaning toward the MP3 type deal.

    Chandra - I like Facebook for keeping in touch with friends and even sometimes playing the word games, but the other apps baffle me. LOL.

    MsPulp - you can set your profile to private on both FB and MySpace. On FB, you can even change the settings to limit what is "shared" and you only have to add people you know and like - if you don't add someone... oh well!

    SoLow - you sent an email and that is perfectly acceptable. My beef is with one family member in particular who, even after I repeatedly sent them and their children gifts, never even so much as called! Don't feel bad - you did the right thing! :-)

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  26. I agree on all counts. Can I also add (and this may only be here in parts of TX) people who litter the back of their vehicles with stickers of **all** the things their kids do. Every sport, every instrument they play, and their NAMES underneath it all like some traveling shrine. Damn, it's no wonder this generation is being raised to be so self-important!! Okay, off my soap-box....

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  27. Wow....I'm with you all EVERY point...except the 'facebook' thing....I don't do 'face' ;)

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  28. the appeal of the iPhone for me is that it combines a whole bunch of things that I use regularly into one gadget that I can carry around with me, instead of a bunch of gadgets that are impossible to lug around. My camera, mp3 player, dayplanner, internet, radio, and some computer functions are all rolled up into one little doodad that's smaller than a wallet, and I have it with me wherever I go. Sweet!

    I do like Facebook but mostly because a lot of my friends are already on it and it's a convenient way to communicate with all of them at once. It's sort of like blogging, but smaller and less formal. :)

    Scrapbooking -- you got me, there. I don't get it, either. I thought part of the fun of keeping a scrapbook was coming up with ways to display the stuff, yourself. I don't get the notion that you have to go out and buy a bunch of stickers and sparkly things to make a scrapbook.

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  29. I was with you for 1 of the 4 ;~)

    Scrapbooks - a way to pass on a picture legacy to my kids (something I wish I had when my mom left too early)

    ipods - superior in every way, product, service, customer relations (goes for all of apple, IMO)

    thank you cards - don't think they are necessary... i would rather not get wasted paper nor would i like to waste paper... and if you expect (re: demand) one from me, you are less likely to get it.

    as for the facebookers that spam my inbox with inane requests... big, fat ignore.

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  30. Gigi - that is annoying!

    Efen - neither does the Evil Twin.

    Rebecca - I get the combo thing, but isn't it like the new Blackberry? The only difference being the carrier? If I had a regular plan, I would definitely look at the iPhone (I use my cell so infrequently, I have pay as you go plan....).

    LoveLladro - I'm not saying I don't like any of these things (well, I don't care for the Facebook apps), but just that I'm confused about the hype and I guess I just don't "get" it. I can be clueless - a lot! :-)

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  31. OK, since no one else will do it I will....

    "ETW (not Shirley) you are a crazy, half-cocked, crazy-assed, slack-jawed redneck,..."

    I took your blog literally.

    No Facebook for me. I'm about to look into Twitter though.
    ...Al...

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  32. I got an iPhone recently and I cannot put the flippin thing down...although, admittedly, I love a new "gadget".

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  33. Man, you really pushed some buttons, huh? I agree with you, also. I am through with MySpace, Facebook and people (especially those in my family) that don't even say "Thank You" when you give them something, just look at you like "where did you come from?". Now that we all have it off our chest, what can we gripe about now?

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  34. I am a total sender of the thank you note... and I scrapbook..

    So I'm only half assed nutters.

    xoxo

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  35. I don't do Facebook, don't have an active cell phone either. I did win an Ipod, but gave it away.

    And I don't often get gifts, have no use for more crap in my life. Well, others are often giving me used things that I can use but that is a little different.

    And I no longer buy new gifts to give to others, my friends don't need more crap in their lives either, and they know that.

    We just enjoy drinks and bullshit with each other.

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  36. Oh, crap.

    I made (prepped) a scrapbook as a wedding gift to Tiff and Biff...

    I have (a few times) completed the apps at Facebook. Initially, I completed them out of confusion. (I will confess to 'kidnapping' a few people, but only because you have to answer trivia to 'escape'. I know. Such a dork...

    I hate that FB announces "You IGNORED THIS REQUEST!" when you opt to pass on the apps. THAT makes me crazy.

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  37. Al - Thanks! You made my day! :-)And if you twitter... you better look me up!

    Laura - you'll have to show me all its' goodness. :-)

    powerrail - Guess so... Didn't mean to. LOL.

    Catscratch - You go, girl! I just somehow missed the scrapbooking gene.

    BBC - Now, THAT is what life is all about, my friend!

    Renn - lots of people love the scrapbooks and even I think they're cute. My motivation to complete one is what's in question here.

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  38. I haven't been on Facebook long enough to even understand what all can be done - but I do understand that it's nothing important and it certainly IS a big time-waster.

    I bought a bunch of scrapbooking supplies about 8 years ago and they are still sitting on a shelf, waiting to be used.

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  39. Applause, whistles, & yeah to all of those! I too, have a Facebook account, but only 'cause someone 2 years back asked me join it so we could be "friends." They've barely spoken to me since, lol! I have been poked by a couple of my blog friends who have accounts but I'd rather just Blog. I really don't understand Facebook and all the bells & whistles.

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  40. Totally agree with you on scrapbooking.

    Facebook - *sigh* ALL my friends have a facebook page and apparently talk all day long via Facebook, so I'm thinking I should get one, except that I already have a myspace page where I do NOTHING! *sigh*

    iPod - I have a Nano I got a couple of years ago and I LOVE IT! I had wanted a Zen, but I have a Mac and my brother did all the requisite research as he had my name for Christmas and it was the one most recommended. I now want a 120G iPod...the 8G is simply not large enough. I hate having to pick and choose what I get to hear.

    Thank You Notes - I'm not so picky that I want an actual note, but a friggin' phone call when I mail gifts across the country would be freaking nice so I know the flippin' thing got there.

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  41. OMgoodness, look at all the replies! :O Scrapbooking....I bought stuff when E was born in 4/98, and still have it. Oops. ;) Just never found time/energy/inclination to do it. Oh well. I failed at that, I guess! I do love FB, only if because I am now in touch w/friends whom I knew a gazillion years ago in the 2 other states I've lived in. So THAT has been fun! Ipod....Don't have one. Matt (18) got me a Zune for Xmas in '07, and sometimes I remember to update it and listen to it. Usually on trips. Mostly I put pics on it to show people when I travel! LOL! And thank you notes are a definite MUST do. I do them. My kids do them. I tell my kids that the gparents will NOT send cards/money/gifts if they do NOT send a thank you!!!!!! Their gparents are in their 80s, and EXPECT such things. :) (They grew up when life was civilized, during the Depression, when women painted a line down the back of their legs because they couldn't afford pantyhose....!) ;)

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  42. Blogging...now blogging...that's not a time-waster at all! Or reading blogs for that matter. ;)

    I always thought I'd like to scrapbook, but I'm lazy and I spend to much time doofin' around with pictures already.

    Ipods are cool, but they have a built in obsolescence, which ticks me off so I won't buy one.

    I rarely respond to adds in Facebook, even if it will give 100,000.000 to St. Smarmy's hospital for the insane if I do.

    I'll only write a thank you note if someone will write me a thank you for thanking them.

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