I Miss My Sunday Paper

I came home this afternoon and saw my wife lying down on the couch reading some mail that we received during the week. It reminded me that I no longer receive a Sunday newspaper. I miss the Sunday paper.

I suppose I could replace a tree-killing paper with a virtual one using my Kindle e-reader. I just looked at the website that replaced my local paper and it has all of the news stories I would usually read when I received a printed newspaper. Truth be told, I actually read the comics first. I lamented this same problem about 3 years ago in a similarly titled entry. Back then, I found a website that lists most of the comic strips available. Unfortunately I have not kept up with my favorite cartoons as that requires more work than opening the door and finding new reading material on the front porch waiting for me to read. Perhaps it is a habit I just need to make.

Another thing I miss is a trusted source of information. Often times people get news from social media sites and the information is not always factual. You'll hear rumors of solving various maladies with snake-oil tactics such as consuming the latest nutraceutical, which has not be tested by the medical field in any way, shape, or form. You may even base your political opinion on events that never happened. At least with a reputable newspaper, facts are checked and editors don't let stories run unless they are confident in the content. That is a far cry from Facebook and other social media sites.

This probably won't be my last post lamenting the loss of printed newspapers. I really just need to make it a habit to read the daily news on my e-reader. I guess it is time to go bookmark that comic-strip page.

If It Is Not Broke

There are several ways to finish the title of today's post that begins with, "If it is not broke . . ." Some will respond with, "Then don't fix it," while others will say, "Then break it." Both are valid continuations of the phrase. Use the first if you are trying to avoid creating more work for yourself and the second if you are looking to improve something. The trick is knowing which philosophy to subscribe to for a given situation.

When it comes to computers, you may often feel you don't need to create more work for yourself. You know how to use your specific program and how to get it to do what you want. Then the only time you need to fix something is when it actually breaks. The only downside is that there may be a better way and you just don't know it.

As you spend time on your phone, tablet, video game console, or computer, think about how long it takes you to do a specific task. Things like responding to an e-mail or looking something up on the Internet should not take more than a single step. If you go to look something up on the Internet and first go to Google, you are adding an extra step. Simply start typing keywords into the URL bar and your browser will perform the search for you. If you are working in a specific program and find yourself spending a large amount of time on a single task, do an Internet search and see if it can be streamlined.

Unfortunately there are a number of cases where the designers of software want you to jump through hoops and there is no way to speed up the process. Recently my wife was working through a State of Utah application to get help for her aging mother. First she had to fill out a 25-page application online. Then she had to print out said application and initial or sign each page. Then she had to scan each page and attach it to the original application. Talk about a hassle. How many 82 year-old women do you know that have the technical skill to do that? Fortunately my wife filled out the application and submitted it successfully. Now I just wish the State of Utah would figure out they have a problem and fix it. Right now, it is definitely broke.