To Paris with Love

The writing group that I'm a part of - NaNoWriMo- has a region in Paris, France. Those writers were at a cafe when the attack happened. They are all okay. But they were posting, live, to our group. We've responded by sending well wishes and showing our concern.

Some people say that makes no difference. Doesn't it?  Because I think it helps to know that people,  a large chunk of the population,  cares. That whole "united we stand" saying is supposed to mean something.

I'd also like to think that people would care if this were a different attack. If, for instance,  the attack was by the KKK against a portion of the population in Alabama. I'd love to tell you that all of Christianity wouldn't be blamed for that.  I'd like to tell you people wouldn't respond by suggesting bombs get dropped on the Vatican. But there's a bit of hate floating in my Facebook news feed with those sorts of responses. Yes,  I'm all in favor of tracking the ISIS down and eliminating them. But wanting to fight that group is like wanting to fight the Klan, not like wanting to fight The Pope and all other leaders of the Christian faith. I'm also not convinced that countries with mandatory prayer five times a day are "Godless" or less religious than America. I'm not suggesting that we should have mandated religion here- just that there's a hole in the argument.

At any rate,  I hope the people of Paris find peace and safety again. Love be with you all.

#WeLoveMLs

I just want to send a big INTERNET HUG to the super ☆awesome☆ Nicki and Andrew. They are the wonderful municipal liasons for my local NaNoWriMo group. Thanks for keeping our group together,  keeping us motivated,  and spreading that positive energy. ♥

Starbucks Mobile Order - Three Experiences

I have the Starbucks Mobile App. The "order with app" is in the Beta stage. There were bonus stars for using the ordering feature,  which is why I tried it. Here is a summary of those attempts:

1- October 31, 2015- $14.47- Went inside,  stood in line. The woman ahead of me in line had never been to a Starbucks. And the person waiting on her was a trainee. So customer asked a question,  trainee had to flag down an employee to get an answer. Five minutes later I get to the register and say I'm here for my order pick up. After a consultation... "Oh,  you're supposed to go to the pick-up area for that." Okay,  I go over there. After first-time-customer gets her drink,  someone finally acknowledges me. I repeat that I'm here for my order. The person finds it.
Cold.
I've been here for 15 minutes now. I just take it and go.
I miss the drive-thru.

2-November 5, 2015- $9.22- Ordered. It didn't have the latest drinks listed. Could have had something better!  Whatever. Go to pick up my order. This time I skip the register line and go straight to the pick-up area,  since I know the protocol. This location doesn't have a drive-thru. It does have the friendliest barista I've ever encountered. He's awesome. But he's waiting on folks who are in line. "All by myself" by Eric Carmen plays in my head. Super Barista finally sees me. He asks if he can help. I tell him why I'm there. He reheats my sandwich and makes my drink fresh because- SURPRISE- THEY WERE BOTH COLD. But he fixes that without my having to ask. Still,  let me point out that I have saved no time,  and actually spent extra time standing here waiting to be noticed. This is not an improvement,  or better,  or faster. It's a way to get ignored and get hot food served cold (unless a great employee won't serve crap and thus intervenes.)

I learned that, to get the latest "seasonal" items, I had to uninstall the app, reboot my phone,  reinstall the app,  and log back in. 

3- November 7, 2015- $10.28- Ordered at the same location as in the first one. Went in,  went straight to pick-up. Watched FIVE drive-thru people get served.  When the girl brought a drink over for someone who had ordered at the register,  I finally get acknowledged. "Oh,  here," she says as she pulls it out. "The whipped cream is deflated. I can add more if you want." I had ordered an iced Chestnut Praline Latte.  The whipped cream isn't the biggest issue. Nearly all the ice melted. This tastes like slightly flavored water with cream. Gross.  And my sandwich?  If you just hold it for a minute instead of using a stove,  microwave,  or fire- that's how "warm" it is.
I long for the drive-thru.
The bonus stars, which lead to free drinks, do not feel worth it. It isn't like at Panera where you can mobile order and the stuff is on a reachable shelf so you can just get it. This isn't McDonald's with a heat lamp to keep your breakfast sandwich warm.
I loved Starbucks. But I really hate the pick up portion of mobile ordering.

Those are my experiences. What about you?

To Bad We Won't Be Voting On This

What if America's 2016 election had some of these items tossed in?

1- People who want to start a war,  especially because they are feeling intolerant,  are required to fight in it. Can't fight? Must volunteer some other way. Can't do that? Donate several thousand dollars or be jailed for intolerance.

2- Pro life protesters would be required to adopt one child for every protest they take part in. No swapping kids- you get what you get. Can't afford the kid? Should have thought of that before spreading your legs to walk to that protest. The kid tries to kill you,  or is related to someone who has harmed you? Good. Social services will stop by to make sure you're parenting well.

3- We are going to need more space in prison thanks to the first two. So weed will now be legal but restricted like alcohol. You only go to jail if your involvement with it harms another. Also,  there will be a tax on weed. (Tax evasion is still a crime.)

4- Gun owners are required to donate 10 hours a year to teaching gun safety- 5 hours if taught to more than 20 children. Must include reasons NOT to shoot.

Just a start. Not that these would be on the ballot. Easier to just blame whoever wins than take any responsibility.

Million Dollar Phone Idea

Accept call.
Reject call.
Reject call to voice mail AFTER appropriate amount of rings.

And there's the idea. Because some calls you can't or won't take right now,  but you don't want the caller to know this. So one more option which will make your phone stop ringing,  but the caller won't be sent to voice mail until the appropriate amount of rings,  preventing them from knowing that you hit reject.

In some ways it is polite. In some it is just handy.

I have no background in making things like this,  so I can't do anything with it. But I figured I'd toss it out there for someone who does know.

Have you ever wished your phone had this feature?

Tweetable

Here are pills to slow the decline, to lengthen the time between the hospital and grave; the side effects are slightly better than death.

Thank the Academy for the President

Does anyone else remember the time that the BEST film made in a year, the very best that Hollywood had to offer,  was a black& white without sound that a vast majority of people had never seen or heard of? The following year came with a curiosity- viewership of the award show dropped. It must have been the host!  It isn't as if normal people watched to root for a favorite,  or even for something they had at least heard of.

Similarly,  voting in political elections has been on the decline. Many people will tell you that it doesn't matter who wins because no one gets things done that they say they will. They generally can't,  either due to corruption from raising money for elections,  or because they face opposing party members. People want one candidate who is actually different,  who stands out from the crowd,  and yet manages to be effective.  They want the government that fictional books and movies offer. The one with teeth. The one that sees laws that are lacking or are dreadfully out of date and manages to fix it. Cyber crime grows faster than the laws created to prevent it. It's like the politicians need to keep the gun argument on the table so the people don't notice the serious lack of virtual protection,  of virtual guns needed for the same reason the founding fathers bothered to put a right to arms in that document!  But really,  if the people don't have a favorite candidate,  or assume that the favorite they do have won't win because they learned that The Artist is as good as it gets,  voter turn out will continue the same decline that The Academy has been straddled with.