Found Out

When Fiorella's electronically-savvy friend moves her fingers on the keyboard in what looks like a random manner, wondrous things occur. But when Fio moves her fingers in her own random manner, chaos occurs. Her only explanation is that the computer senses her essential Ludditeness and retaliates in kind.

Regarding Amazon Reviews

Fiorella's friend Jeanell never wrote an Amazon review until she was asked to.  Luddite that she is, she didn't know how to do it and had to be instructed, step by step.  Since then, she's written eight reviews, solicited and unsolicited.

What about the multitudes of reviews some books receive?  Fiorella is sure some books are surefire and attract spontaneous reviews.  But she also knows there are companies out there that sell positive reviews.  And that some authors provide free copies of their books with the stipulation that the readers write reviews.  And that membership in a Golden Heart loop produces raves from one's fellow travelers. And that friends and family can be hit up.

Shameless self-promotion.  It's part of the publishing revolution.

Machines Rule

Fiorella's Baby needs a lot of work, including a new hard drive, but Fio doesn't want to buy a replacement computer because she doesn't have the time to learn another system.  Window 7 nearly did her in, and now that she has it down pat, she doesn't want to change gears.

The whole situation is driving her crazy as it is.  She can't work on Lolly's story, she can't communicate with people, and she can't research interesting stuff.

Let's face it. Fiorella, who calls herself a Luddite, is slave to a machine.  They're taking over all of us.  The power is theirs unless we find a way to--uh--pull the cord.

Employment

Like everyone else, Fiorella is glad that our soldiers are coming home from Iraq, and you know they'll be greeted with welcoming accolades. But after the confetti has been swept up, where will they find jobs? The country's employment situation is dire, and it will only get worse when Johnny comes marching home again.

Jobs always go down the tubes when technological advances are made--think of the Luddite rebellion when mechanical looms were introduced in 1800s. And the outcome of the computer revolution was that jobs were flushed or outsourced. replacement of workers electronic devices. Of course, the downturn in the economy, brought on by tossing money into the bottomless money pit of war in the Near East, didn't help.

Obama's trying to get us going again, but Congress has even voted down plans to strengthen the nation's physical infrastructure, for apparently no other reason than to oppose Obama. In logic parlance, it's called an ad hominem argument: the GOP is against anything Obama proposes just because he's the one who proposed it.

But there's a historic danger when so many people are unemployed--especially if they're former military. The Occupy Wall Street movement may be a harbinger of more violent things to come.

Eclectic Snippets

Like Dolly, Fiorella's back in town.  Not that she was actually gone, just knocked off the internet till about noon today, which drove her crazy.  No Google news, no e-mail, no blogging.  For someone who calls herself a Luddite, Fio is mighty computer-dependent.
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Looking at the pictures Son took of her, Fio realizes she doesn't really look as good as she thinks she does.  But then, she never did.
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Between the elections and the Longhorns, Fio's going to retreat into her snail shell for the duration.
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What would Fio do without friends?  Tomorrow she's going to have lunch with Joan, and last week she lunched with Sharon.  Last night she wrote a long email to Suzy in England to bring her up to date.  Paula has stood by her for years.  Katie, Janece, and Jane have cheered on her literary aspirations, and Marion even read an early copy of P of BB.  Fio's sure to have left someone important out so please forgive her because she loves you all.