Dropping on EC’s has become a nightmare experience lately!

I don’t know how many of you are getting a bit peeved, when dropping EC’s, by the automatic multimedia and gazillions of ads flashing and popping up everywhere, slowing down the loading of pages.  It has been getting worse of late, as more and more people decide they want to earn money from their blog.

How many of you have gone to click the ‘Drop’ bar on an EC and at that exact moment the page jogs and you find you’ve clicked a ‘pay per click’ ad?  I’m sure this is set up deliberately by some,  Searching for the EC when it’s crammed in the centre of a bunch of ads. Multimedia that opens up on a layer above the blog.   My dropping has slowed down considerably, and often my browser freezes up and I have to restart.  When using the EntreCard toolbar and opening ten tabs at a time, it’s difficult to know which blog is the offending one, making it impossible to avoid those blogs most of the time.

I found a very interesting post by Laura at junkfoodaholic called 6 Helpful Entrecard Dropping Tips. Not all of it applied to me, but I took on board some of it.  This is what I have now done and it has made my dropping much, much faster!

I downloaded the Firefox add-on: Noscript
I also took some tips from ‘Junkie Yard Dot Com’ How fast can you drop? EntreCard dropping tips and tricks

Most of you have more than one browser installed.  I think it’s the best way, but it’s not the only way.  I do my blog reading and browsing in Flock, so I set Firefox up for dropping.  If you use Firefox, why not download Flock as the drop browser?  It’s built on Firefox 3, as I’ve said before.  Anyway, I installed the ‘noscript’ add-on and followed the instructions here for setting it up.  I turned off images in the browser.  I have set up ‘bookmark’ folders marked top right, top left etc.  This way I can drop any blog I want in the folders as I go, making it obvious where their EC is on their page, and group them together by folders.

With Noscript installed, using the Enrecard toolbar I can load twenty tabs at a time with ease.  You hover over the EC area with your mouse, using the keyboard shortcut for ‘close tab’ (command w for Mac) and just keep clicking away .  The blogs load immediately so you can fly through 300 with no stress at all.

I will just add that it is not ideal if you want to drop and read as you go.  It has to be done as a separate thing.  With the ‘no images’ and ‘noscript’ installed it’s often hard to know who’s blog you are on.  I read and comment during the day and I drop at night.

You can set this up in one browser but I definitely prefer to use a second one that is already set up for dropping, it’s much more convenient.

It was taking me anything up to an hour and a half to do my drops lately.  Last night I did 300 in under twenty minutes and I don’t have my folders set up yet.  AND the cat was laying all over my keyboard!

Just imagine dropping with no automatic music or movies, no ads, no pop-ups, just a bunch of text and standing out prominently on the page, the Entrecard!  It’s a droppers dream.

Thank you Laura for pointing me to your post.

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I’m so sick of trying to salvage my cat blog that I’ve decided to go back to Blogger - Nooooo, not really!

I have decided to completely zap Simplycats off my server, including the sub-domain.  Then I shall load a new copy of WordPress 2.7, make my sub-domain again and drag my old back-up into the directory.  This, should downgrade it to WordPress 2.6.  I will deactivate EVERYTHING! and upgrade again.

This may, or may not work.  Wish me well!

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What a Christmas present!

The only reason I have not put my ‘Frustrated Babs’ doodle here is because it’s Christmas, and I didn’t want to spoil the Christmas mood.

About a week ago, I updated my Photo Blog to WordPress 2.7.  I chose just the one so I could be sure it would go OK, and to give me a chance to get used to the changes.  It all went fine, thankfully.

Late Christmas Eve, well early Christmas day really, I decided to update my other two blogs.  I thought I would do it while it was quiet in blog land.  I chose Simplycats first .  I followed the prompts, and clicked the link to check it was all OK.  FATAL ERROR! My blog had vanished!  I followed all the instructions in order to recover my previous backup.  I had several long, boring and less than successful attempts to get the directory back.  Finally I did it.  By now it was Christmas day afternoon!  I had had 2 hours sleep, and been to the Christmas morning church service in between though.  Now I had to replace the database.  I stared at the database that I had to empty.  Should I, shouldn’t I?  The instructions clearly said ‘Empty the database’ and who was I to doubt their superior knowledge?  I nervously emptied it, as instructed, and imported the old one - many, MANY times!  It will not complete!  It times out every time.

I now have half a blog.  Well half a blog that is no blog at all actually!  The part of the database that wouldn’t import is the user info and posts.  You’ve got it.  I can’t sign in!  In effect, I have no blog!

It all looks very pretty with it’s header and side bars with all the widgets intact, even though they are now on the wrong side, but as they say in Yorkshire, “There’s nowt else there”

I am now at a loss as to what to do, or where to go for help!  In all my Twenty years with computers, I have never been this helpless!  I have always fixed my own system problems, never had to send my computer to a hospital or had a house call!   What is it with WordPress?

Will they ever make it user friendly?

If anybody has arrived here because they have discovered Simplycats is not functioning.  I am sorry.  I will do my best to get it up and running again very soon.  Until then, I will cry and pout.

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I thought that as it’s Christmas, you may like to read about Christmas day at my house in the 1950’s.  Before you click the link, we did a dance for you - just to make you smile.

Have a very joyful Christmas!

If you liked the story, or the dance, maybe you could smiley me :O)

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Here it is.  Mo singing last Sunday night.  The sound quality is not brilliant, but not bad considering it was recorded through the video camera.

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She did well, but notice the microphone was not switched on when she started.  Her nerves must have got to her, because I’m sure I saw her switch it off at the beginning!   She really jumps at the end, when the audience screams.  We fell about when we saw that played back :O)

They must have liked it, because they have asked her to sing it again at our ‘Carols by Candlelight’ service.

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Today, I am posting a link to a very unusual fairy.

This fairy, many of you know.  This fairy is a Chanukah Fairy.  This fairy, when she isn’t fairying, is known more for her political rants and her search for a good man!  You’d think that she would just wave her magic wand and ‘Hey Presto!’ One hunky male, ready do do her will.  But does she?  No!  For some reason she only uses her powers for the good of others.  I expect that’s what makes her the good fairy that she is.  All together now….”How saaaad”.

If you click on the little fairy wand, you will be transported to her fairy den, where you can give her some love.  Maybe send her a good man for her Chanukah!

I need smileys!

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I think this is the longest I have ever gone between posts!   I am so busy buying gifts, putting up Christmas decorations and writing out cards.  I am also going out to Christmas meals, shows and other fun things.  I hardly have time to read blogs, let alone comment on them!  I promise you, I am reading them all, just not always commenting at the moment.  I find myself dropping EC’s at 2am every day lately.

My intention was to write a nice post, but who was I kidding?  I do have a video of Mo’s latest vocal offering ready, and a fun post to make you all laugh but I think it may be pot luck posts for a bit, at least until I am a little less bogged down by it all.

Still, I am a happy bunny, though for reasons that he chose not to tell me, Ben Barden, when I joined his ‘Top 10 Blog Tips’ forum and asked to be called ‘Happy Bunny’, changed it to ‘content rabbit’.  Doesn’t have the same ring to it, does it?

If you read this Ben, and would care to enlighten me, I would be forever grateful.

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“Would you like to sing ‘Mary’s Boy Child’ at our Christmas Carol Service?”

It was Christmas 1995 and Mo had been asked to sing.  I don’t know how they found out that she could sing, but they asked her anyway.  Mo agreed and the musicians came to our home for a rehearsal.  At some point, when Mo was feeling more relaxed, she started to mess about and sing it in her own, unmistakeably way.  The keyboard player joined in and as soon as they had finished, it was decided that they should do it just like that at the service.

You should know that our church was very middle class, and they were used to a very traditional Christmas service.  You know, harps and oboes and gentle singing of carols. This was not in keeping with what they were used to.  The pastor was told that it would be rather different, and he was keen to have a break from the norm.

The day arrived, the church was packed and Mo was really nervous.  She had never sung with a band before, and certainly never at a church!   We had two MAJOR stumbling blocks.  When the pastor was introducing Mo he, very stupidly, made a lengthy speech about how different her singing was going to be and…… well you’ll here some of it on the recording.  That was enough to freeze Mo to the spot.

There was a lead guitarist that hadn’t been at the rehearsal.  Mo, in her nervousness hadn’t even noticed, I hadn’t either - until the music started!  There was a totally unexpected guitar riff.  He was a rock guitarist and played with a gritty fuzz box sound.  It totally threw Mo and she…..well you’ll hear it.  You can just hear the offending guitar if you listen carefully.  It came through a separate amp and wasn’t recorded through the system, just picked up through the microphone, which was about fifteen foot away!  Don’t get me wrong, he is a brilliant guitarist, but he hadn’t rehearsed with Mo.  Not good when you have a nervous singer, who has never sung with a band before

Be sure to listen to the words she sings, and listen through to the end.   Despite all the mistakes, it went down well, and has given us plenty of laughs since.  Click the little triangle to listen.

Mary’s Boy Child - of sorts!

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A little bit of background information, just to set the scene.

Back in the early to mid sixties, and before the mini-skirt hit the scene, some of the fashions were ridiculous. The skirts were just on the knee and so tight that you couldn’t walk properly.  In order to climb even the smallest step, you had to stand side-on and swing your leg up behind you and walk up sideways.  After climbing a flight of stairs, your skirt had usually made it’s way up your thighs and had to be yanked back down.  It wouldn’t drop down on it’s own because it was far too tight!

Shoes (*Winkle pickers) with pointed toes, so long that they curled up after wearing them a few times.

Hair that was back-combed and piled up as high as you could get it, using so much hair lacquer, that your hair was rock solid and could be used as a lethal weapon.  Great for pushing your way through the crowds in the rush hour.  One swipe in your face with a **Busby and believe me, you moved!

The ‘French Pleat’ was fashionable and generally, girls that had their hair pleated and piled up by their hairdresser, went back the following week to have it tidied up.  Not restyled, just tidied up!  They then went back the following week to have it washed and put up again.  There were many who went a month without even having a comb through!  I heard all sorts of stories about insects making their homes in them.  One girl didn’t know until blood trickled down her forehead.  That’s what the newspaper article said anyway.

I had one such friend called Carol. She wore her skirt so tight that she couldn’t walk.  What she did was, sort of shuffle, and hope she moved in the right direction. She wore winkle pickers with a 3 inch heel, and had a white blond French pleat, with a good ten inch busby on top!

One sunny morning I was standing at the bus stop across the road from Charing Cross station.  This was the Strand, in the centre of London, in the rush hour, so it was very busy.  The road, being very wide, had a central island so you could wait until the traffic cleared.

I need you to picture this.  Rush hour.  A crowd of people standing on the central island.  Carol standing in the middle of the crowd, couldn’t be missed with her hair towering above the others.  Carol also grasped in front of her one of the latest fashion accessories.  A picnic basket!  Well, it was supposed to be a handbag, but it was very large, round, had a handle over the top and was made with wicker.  The only way you could hold this thing was out at the front of you.   This drawing is almost as good as a photo of carol!

Are you picturing this?  Good. Suddenly the crowd surged forward to rush across the road, carol was swept along, probably by her picnic basket. Carol couldn’t rush! Carol couldn’t WALK! The top half of carol moved with the throng, but the bottom half could only shuffle.

CRRRRUUUUUUUUNNNCH!

The crowd oblivious to Carol’s plight, went on their way leaving her, laying flat out, in the middle of the road, on the somewhat squashed picnic basket, and I had a front row seat, along with all those in the bus queue, who were watching and stifling laughter.  Carol, not looking up, stood up as ladylike as her skirt would allow (not very) turned a ruby red, which showed her white hair off a treat, and tried to squash her picnic basket back into some sort of passable shape.  Too embarrassed to look up, she continued to look at the floor, for which I was thankful.  Once she regained her composer, she shuffled off up the road.  She never saw me there, and I never told her I witnessed it.  I didn’t want her embarrassment to be made any worse.  I don’t know how I kept my composure, once I got in the office and came face to face with Carol and her picnic basket!

It was one of the funniest things I had ever seen.  It resembled a sort of obstacle race, like ‘See how far you can get with your knees tied together’  I laughed for weeks over that.   I’m even giggling while writing this!  Sometimes a near photographic memory can be a great source of laughter!

* Winkle picker shoes got their name because the points were considered sharp and long enough to pick winkles out of their shells.

** A nickname given because of the similarity to hats the Queen’s Guards wear.

EDIT:  I have added an image of a plate of Winkles for your info. You used a pin to remove the little curly inside.  Very tasty with vinegar, but I wouldn’t eat them now!

Don’t forget to give me a smiley at Blogerella

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I was sixteen.  My boyfriend, John, had invited me to a special night out.  His Father was a Freemason and it was their annual ‘Ladies Night’.  This meant a new posh frock, and all the trimmings.

I spent ages putting my make-up on and getting my hair just right.  I slipped into my dress and examined myself in the mirror.  That was as good as I could get it.  I was ready.

John arrived, on time.  Well he only lived two house down so it would have been a poor show if he was ever late! In those days, a boy called for you, even to take you back to his house, and even if it was only two doors down.

Back at his house, his parents were waiting.  I was a little nervous to be going out with his parents.  It was quite a thing and I felt honoured.

We arrived, and by now I was quite nervous to be going to an ‘adult’ night out.  It was a very large hall with large tables lining a dance floor.  We arrived at our table and I nervously sat down.  There were about ten to a table and they were all chatting and laughing.  I sat quietly taking it all in.  I was a very shy sixteen year old, having not long left school.

After a while, I nervously took out my cigarettes.  It gave me something to do and, I thought, would break the ice a bit.  I offered them around to each of the crowd at our table and, one at a time, and staring at me blankly, they all refused.  This was NOT HELPING!  Why wouldn’t they at least include me by taking one of my cigarettes?  They all smoked!  Feeling a bit dejected, I lit mine and continued in my awkward silence.

It wasn’t long before realization dawned.  None of those people were friends of John’s parents.  They were all total strangers!  I had offered my cigarettes around, one at a time, to a bunch of strangers.  they must have thought I was a bit of a weirdo!  I nearly died with embarrassment! I was stuck facing them, and my embarrassment all evening!

That was my introduction to the adult world, and my most embarrassing moment ever!  Of course now I would just laugh it off and get chatting to them all, but now is now and then was then.

So, come on, what’s your most embarrassing moment?

I have just joined Blogerella so please vote for me by clicking the logo in my sidebar. I need to get off the bottom ;O)

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