Saturday, January 8, 2011

The overwhelming effect of negativity. At which point does expressing what’s on one’s mind become unacceptable? Does an elderly person, due to their age, have the right to say anything and everything they want, regardless of if their words might have a cutting edge? Is a person entitled to bag on everything another is and does, just because they themselves are miserable human beings? Should a person be empowered to treat another like a doormat, using them as a rung on their ladder to feel better?

These questions have swirled around my head this past week as I’ve been overwhelmed by a barrage of negativity that sucks the air from a room, leaving me gasping and wheezing. Enduring some level of negativity is one thing—something we all find ourselves having to cope with. Though it’s not the optimum, it is manageable. But…when things turn ugly to the point that the only thing one hears is negativity 24/7, that sucks the life right out of a person. At least, that’s what it does with me. It makes me want to create as much distance as possible between those hurling negativity-laced venom capable of causing even the strongest to wither and myself.

So what does one do to adjust? Endure? Well, there are always tears, which can be cathartic as long as one doesn’t collapse into them, wallowing in depression. Or there’s exercise, a great tool for burning off negative energy and revitalizing the soul. Of course, should those not be an option, there’s always the choice to remove one’s self from the situation.

Nowhere is it written that an individual has to be subjugated by negativity. When all else fails—laughing it off, turning the other cheek and ignoring and allowing it to roll off one’s back rather than seeping into their fibers, one does have the choice to up and remove themselves in order to regroup. Many, myself included, tend to forget this, getting so bedraggled by all the crap being flung their way that they can barely think straight. But when clarity does revisit one’s mind, allowing them to glimpse what options they have, this is a good one to remember, for there’s nothing more cathartic and empowering than walking away from those who are content to wallow in miserable negativity.

Friday, January 7, 2011

For the past two days, I’ve reached out to you readers for help in diagnosing a problem with this site. I cannot express enough how touched I am by those who took the extra steps necessary to make comments to my queries and for everyone who responded—problems or not.

Behind-the-scenes, I’ve been sleuthing on my own, determining more a pattern to the occurrence of comment posting troubles on this site. Meanwhile, I’ve forwarded all of your information, along with my own findings, to my Webmaster and IT specialist who are working tirelessly to solve this problem. In addition, tomorrow I’ll meet with another expert who I may have incorporate Plan B should my Webmaster and IT person not be able to solve this problem.

And just because there’s never a dull moment in the world of technology, while determining a pattern to the skewed comment screen problem, just today, another glitch presented itself. I have no idea if this one lies with my software or my server. All the information that’s been accumulated regarding this latest trouble has also been handed over to my Webmaster and IT specialist in the hopes that they’ll be able to unravel its origin and find a solution or workaround. Prior to this latest problem, I’d made plans to meet with the abovementioned individual regarding Plan B. And now, with this latest problem, I feel an even greater need to proceed with my meeting.

With any luck, I hope to have some good news regarding this site’s woes sometime next week.

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Yesterday, I blogged about a recurring problem I’ve had when trying to post responses to those who make comments on my blog. It’s that of a skewed comment window that allows me to write but not post my response. After reading what folks had to say after yesterday’s blog, touching base with my Webmaster, IT specialist and doing some ongoing research of my own, I’ve come to the conclusion that the problem, at least as I’ve experienced it, tends to occur during peak Internet hours—first couple of hours during the work day and just after folks get off of work. I’m wondering if others are experience the same correlation. If so, I would suggest checking my blog during non-peak hours until we get this worked out.

I appreciate the extra steps folks have to take and am grateful for your continued support. Please feel free to comment if you, too, are experiencing this problem during peak Internet hours, as your feedback will prove useful in expediting a resolution to the comment-posting problem.

In the words of Connie, I really wish there was a GlitchesBeGone Spray to remedy this problem. But since there’s not, we’ll tackle this the old fashioned way, with patience and steely grit.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

For about two months, I’ve been aware of an odd glitch on this site that I thought was exclusive to when I was attempting to post responses to comments made. But today, it was brought to my attention by a friend that she, too, was having the same problem with posting a comment. This leads me to wonder if anyone else has experienced difficulty when trying to make comments on this site.

When I have problems, the comment screen appears to be skewed, as if it’s not centered, a quarter of the left side missing. And although I am able to write a comment in that skewed window, I am not able to post said comment.

After fiddling with this for a couple of months now, I’ve found a way around this glitch. If you log onto my site without having been logged into another first, then 99.9% of the time when the comment screen pops up, it’s centered the way it should be and will let you then post the comment. If, however, you do get the skewed comment screen and would still like to post a comment, you can do so by first emptying your cache, quitting your browser and then logging back into my site.

I do understand that these extra steps are a pain, but they won’t be needed for long, as I currently have my Webmaster and an IT specialist working on this. As a means to expedite diagnosing the problem, they would like me to ask if anyone else has experienced being unable to post a comment on this site. If so, were they using a Mac or a PC? Also, what browser was used at the time?

Any feedback I can provide my Webmaster and It guy with will greatly increase the odds of them identifying the underlying problem and should help steer them in a direction to correct such.

For those who have tried to make comments here but couldn’t, I apologize for your frustration. And for those who take the time to help me solve this problem by responding to my questions, I thank you in advance. Together we can work this out.