Friday and not a moment too soon

[altivo]

Actually this was going to be a lazy weekend, the first one in a couple of months. Neither of us has commitments, Gary is done with school for the summer, the county fair is running...

So Gary was late getting back from Chicago this morning due to an ugly jam on US 20 south of here, involving construction equipment but he didn't find out what else. There were police and an ambulance on the scene.

Then he called me at work early in the afternoon to say he had a tire blow out (fortunately not on the highway) and the lug nuts were seized up and he broke one so he was waiting for the tow truck. Outcome of that, he missed a rehearsal, had to have the wheel repaired, and tomorrow morning takes the car back for four new tires. Second set he's put on since buying that car.

I'm waiting for some jinx to hit me as well...

County fair results were posted to their website. I haven't been over there to see yet, but for seven entries I got seven ribbons. Two first, four second, one third. The fair did not print a premium book this year, and relied only on PDF files posted to their website. I think that was a bad mistake, at least in the crafts, gardening, and cooking categories. Many who would normally enter those sections are older (60 plus or retired) and do not mess with computers. The crafts supervisor told me when I was there to turn in my entries that she had a lot of complaints. If the judging results reflect the number of entries, then they are way down, at least a third less total entries than last year. I was not a judge this year, which is why I was able to submit my own work. Sunday I get the items back, along with the ribbons and a prize check (should be $22.) I'm hoping for written comments from the judge, but not holding my breath for them. (I always wrote them when I judged.)

Comments

[songdogmi.livejournal.com]

Congratulations on all the ribbons. Even if there weren't a lot of entries, to go 7-for-7 is pretty good.

[altivo]

Turns out there were three of us from the same guild who put in entries. Between us, we got 18 of the ribbons and one best in show rosette.

[schnee]

Congrats!

[altivo]

Thanks.

[moonhare]

Many who would normally enter those sections are older (60 plus or retired) and do not mess with computers.

I see a lot of that at the library. Considering the demographics of aging in this country I'm really saddened by the amount of people who can't take care of their own affairs anymore and have to rely on others to help them find those once easily available forms and documents. My dad, an M.I.T grad and holder of 21 friggin patents and whom I thought would embrace this technology, would have nothing to do with computers. And it's not a matter of being a Luddite; a lot of it's just overwhelming.

[altivo]

Even worse are the employers who refuse to accept job applications except by email or on a web site form. They do this even for jobs like cleaning and maintenance staff, fork lift driver, bus drivers, etc. It's blatant discrimination and pointless laziness on their part.

Here the state unemployment office now requires unemployment claims to be filed online, even though a high percentage of the unemployed have no computer skills and no access. Worse yet, the required web site will not talk to any browser other than Internet Explorer. Nothing else will satisfy them. Wonder if Microsoft made big political donations.