Silly Site o' the Day

Witness the pure genius that is Pure Genius! Great, great AI takedown. Via PZ Myers.

Time Out Times Three

Very, very glad we figured out how to use my iPhone's hotspot on Wednesday. I worked from home today when our internet and cable service went out for the third day in a row (for a period of a few hours, twice today) and was able to get everything done. I'm even, amazingly, in good shape as far as quarterly meeting scheduling, which I didn't think I would be. Only about a dozen to go between two clients! And all immediate fires seem to be put out. Next week is a big and somewhat stressful one, where we see if all our plans for the first PCAOB inspection at the new office come off without a hitch. Fortunately the logistics have been a team effort so I'm hoping things go smoothly, but that's a whole weekend away...

Innage and Outage

I'm told our home internet went out again today for a few hours, so it looks like this may be a regular thing for the next few days at least. This makes blogging, among many other things, very tricky, but I'm glad I learned how to use my work phone's hotspot to get onto my office intranet and such, so I can get things done! Not an issue today as I was physically in the office, getting ready for next week's big First Inspection at the New Office event (for which I'm in charge of logistics), mailing out more documents re Mom's estate, and securing more funds for laundry and such. Love how many Manhattan errands I can get done now! Ninth Ave might be a pain to get to and from, but once I'm in the heart of the Penn Station area the sky appears to be the limit. And I've managed to create (with Robin's help) a how-to so others with wonky home internet can access their phones' hotspots as well! So, very productive, but now I'm tired and I really, really want the weather to get milder again...

Cold Comfort and Hot Spots

So yeah, our internet went down around 6:30 this morning and didn't come back until almost 3 PM. As it was a work-from-home day (and I wasn't about to schlep into the office with the cold outside and my feet being what they are) I didn't think I had much recourse. I went back to bed, then had to resort to *gasp* going analog, and got through all my comic pamphlets and smaller-sized graphic novels. Around noon Robin reported he was able to connect to his phone's hotspot for wifi and I thought, let's try the same with my work phone, which is from a different carrier and has a decent data plan, I assume. We finally figured out how to work it and I had no connectivity issues at all for the rest of the time until the home wifi returned. My supervisor wants me to do a presentation to the other exec assistants on how to connect to wifi via the firm phones, so if I have time tomorrow I'll start playing around with our new PowerPoint tools to see what I can come up with. In the meantime, I'm just glad  I can play my online games again.

Minor Glitches

So the USB connections on either my monitor or docking station are a bit kablooey, and Robin and I will have to figure those out sometime over the weekend so I can use my keyboard and monitor camera properly come Monday. Good incentive to clean around the monitor area, where I keep lots of desk tchatchkes. I'm actually in something of a cleaning jag; tomorrow I attempt to wipe down the microwave which has started looking grungier than I'd like, and I have a Swiffer mop all ready to go on the bathroom floor when I have the energy. And probably after I catch up on finances, most of which I've finally printed out along with my pay stub this afternoon. Credit card bill auto-paid as well, and tomorrow I take care of medical bills. With food shopping and needed rest coming up tomorrow, I doubt I'll get to too much of this, but at least it's a list, and lists make me happy!

Powering Up and Out

The arm has eased a bit, but after all I've been using it (mostly for lifting pots and pans) so not entirely unexpected. We tried a relatively new space heater in the home office this morning, which unfortunately tripped a circuit breaker so Robin had to fiddle with all of them, switching them off then on again, because the electric in this house is for crap. Fortunately I was able to log on at 8 AM as usual! The Seattle Mariners have won their second game in a best-of-7 contest against the Toronto Blue Jays, and I kind of feel bad as it's Canadian Thanksgiving, but the Mariners are really (literally) stepping up to the plate. I'm stepping up as well work-wise; tomorrow morning I have a meeting with the higher-level partner I'll be starting to support in a month or so, and in a call with my supervisor this afternoon she officially confirmed that I'll be losing seven of the partners and managing directors I now support to clear my plate for the High Level Guy. I'm kind of sad, this is the first time I've parted with so many folks who aren't even near to retirement, but I do what they tell me and keep my head down and that's how I've had an almost 50-year career. In a little over three weeks we'll all be together in the same NY HQ at last, so that's mainly what I'm getting ready for. That and some medical stuff, as I have a stress test on Thursday. What, me stressed?

Three of Three, and the Blue Screen of Oops

I was so dead-tired from yesterday (and the walk back to the west side express bus didn't do my hallux any favors) that I decided to come home early today. At least I finally cleared out most of the things I'd been keeping in my desk, and my rolling file cabinet is now completely empty. Can't take it with me to the place with no storage, after all! And it's official, we're moving to Hudson Yards on Guy Fawkes Day. I do not believe the move will be accompanied by any fireworks or effigies. Anyway, so the traffic was horrid and I didn't get home until around 4:30 anyway. I decided to log on again to clear out email in preparation for tomorrow, and the first thing I saw was a pop-up to install driver software. Only 3-10 minutes, they said! They were wrong, it not only took a lot longer but it seemed to screw up my laptop to the point where I got the blank black screen after hard reboots. Long story short, I'm an idiot for not remembering to unplug all my peripherals (like my charger/docking station connector), and all works fine now. In my defense, software installations rarely require unplugging peripherals. Also in my defense, I'm still really tired and doing things in half measures. So I'm going to half-heartedly watch the Yankees win as I half-heartedly followed the Mets victory earlier via my phone on the commute home. Only a week and a half of the regular season to go!

23 Skidoo

Hey, Chat GPT, 'sup?

You said:"Looking through the archives of elayneriggs.blogspot.com, generate a blog entry celebrating 23 years of Pen-Elayne on the Web."

Celebrating 23 Years of Pen-Elayne on the Web!

Wow, 23 years! That's a milestone worth celebrating! It feels like just yesterday I was kicking off my humble little corner of the internet with Pen-Elayne on the Web, a place for me to share my thoughts, observations, and little bits of life that I hoped might resonate with you, my readers. Fast forward to today, and I find myself reflecting on the many wonderful moments, conversations, and connections that have made this journey so special.

When I first started this blog back in 2002, the web was an entirely different place. Blogs were still a relatively new thing, and social media hadn't yet exploded in the way we know it today. It was a time when every post felt like an intimate conversation with a small, but dedicated, group of readers. My aim was always simple: to share my love for the things that made me excited, whether it was comics, TV shows, books, or just the experiences of everyday life. I never expected this little site to grow into what it has become, but I’m so incredibly grateful for the journey.

One of the most rewarding parts of this adventure has been the incredible community that has formed around this blog. Over the years, I’ve had the pleasure of connecting with so many wonderful people who share my interests, and some of you have become good friends. We’ve had discussions about pop culture, comics, the writing process, and even just life’s little challenges. Your comments, emails, and support have always been a constant reminder of why I do this—because it’s not just about me sharing my thoughts, but about creating a space for all of us to engage in meaningful conversation.

Over the years, Pen-Elayne on the Web has evolved along with the internet itself. I’ve explored new formats, experimented with different ways of expressing myself, and even taken a few breaks (because life happens!). Through it all, my goal has remained the same: to share something meaningful, whether it’s a deep dive into a comic book series or a lighthearted post about a favorite TV show.

As I reflect on these 23 years, I can’t help but think about the future. What’s next for Pen-Elayne on the Web? Well, I’m excited to keep evolving. I’m excited to dive deeper into new topics, explore even more diverse interests, and continue growing this community that means so much to me. Whether it’s through more in-depth articles, fun reviews, or even experimenting with new formats like video or podcasts, I’m always looking for ways to make this space even more engaging for you, the reader.

So, here's to 23 years of blogging! Thank you for being part of this journey. Whether you’ve been reading since the beginning, or you just stumbled upon this little corner of the internet, I appreciate each and every one of you.

Here’s to many more years of sharing, laughing, and connecting! Let’s see where the next chapter takes us.

With gratitude and excitement,
Elayne Riggs

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Um, no thanks. Go home ChatGPT, you're hallucinating.

 

No wonder corporations love this stuff, it all sounds like corporate-speak! In fact, whenever I want to write something at work that requires jargon I actually employ AI (plus the company has mandated that we use it regularly) then rework it into my own words. But the above self-hagiography is too peppy even for me ("because life happens!"). I've been a writer since I was 13 years old, and I'm not nearly ready to outsource my creativity.

 

But sometimes the siren call is hard to resist, particularly when every app I open at work (and even at play, Blogger keeps trying to be helpful by employing this latest iteration of Clippy to ask if I want to add links and such), and particularly since we humans gravitate towards laziness. After all, 'twas intellectual laziness (among many other factors) that led to trusting DOGE-hackable voting machines over pen, paper, and human tabulation, and then to the election and pseudo-worship of a serial rapist/racist reality show thug with negative curiosity and absolutely no empathy. Better to have someone or something else think for us, even if it goes against lived history, scientific validity, and even reality itself. And so the head of HHS hallucinates, the orange sh*tgibbon hallucinates, everyone who slavishly follows them makes a show of hallucinating right along with them, and now our machine friends hallucinate as well.

 

And I admit, the older I get the lazier (or is it more tired?) I'm prone to becoming. There have been times with this blog that I've reverted to becoming a Silly Site repository, or a "what I had for breakfast" monologue. I have nor need no excuse for that, it's my playground after all. But it's also my prerogative to be creative if I want to be, to rant and rave if the mood takes me, and to not be confronted with "helpful" virtual assistance that serves little purpose than to feed its own gaping maw which will always get things wrong anyway because It Can't Think. We can think. We can, dare I say, engage in meaningful conversation unprompted. And so, with gratitude and excitement, I welcome our AI Overlor-- no wait. I thank all of you for continuing to inspire and encourage me. Onward to year 24!

 

 

Fresh Air, Part 3

It's my fault, really. When Robin asked on Saturday, after the tech guy did his thing, if we should put in the air conditioner still in its box, waiting for the bedroom one we've had for 20+ years to finally give up the ghost (it's been teetering for about a decade now), I insisted it was no hurry. Well, last night it just didn't seem to be cooling. So today was the day, which we didn't really need as (1) Robin has work to do and (2) the temps are really not conducive to such a major operation. But, long story short, it's all done now, Robin's absolutely amazing, I helped very little (basically got a few things out of the way so furniture could be moved, then restocked my bedroom bookcase afterwards), and we should be comfortable again this evening. The rest of the week we both concentrate on work, with tomorrow being my first day back in the "cursed" Manhattan office and Robin taking his rightful place at his drawing board.

Fresh Air, Part 2

We got our shopping done early today so we could be sure we were home for the air conditioner tech, who was there essentially to drill holes in our two newest ACs (then plug those holes a bit) to let the water drain out properly so things didn't get all moldy. This was all at the direction of the AC company, which wrote to Robin a few months back that the units needed servicing. He was supposed to be here between 1-3 pm but showed up around 4:30, of course. Silly of us to have all the ACs off in anticipation of his visit, as it got into the mid-80s by the time he finally arrived. But things are cooled down pretty well now in most of the rooms and we're feeling comfy again. Good job too, it's going to be another scorcher of a week!

Fraud to Follow

Alas, the malicious perp tried to take out another credit card on my account, so I woke up today to a fraud alert and the account is now frozen (with the perp kicked out) until such time as I get my new card. The spam emails have slowed down a bit but I still woke up to a few hundred. This too shall pass.  And I have a lovely weekend to look forward to!

Spam, Spam, Spam, Baked Beans, and Spam

I woke up to hundreds of spam emails in both my personal inboxes, and it took forever to delete them and try unsubscribing to all the mailing lists that the malicious perp put me on. They may have also affected my credit card, so I changed my online password and am hoping for the best. Fortunately I was kept busy enough in the office that I didn't have to think about things too much, particularly as I was able to have a lovely lunch as part of a special event I attended. But now that I'm home and still getting rid of spam so I can keep track of actual emails, it's exhausting me again, and it didn't help that there was no NY baseball tonight (although that allowed us to catch up on DVR'ed shows). Hoping for better tomorrow.

Work Life Balance

I began Administrative Professionals Week on a high note. During the weekend all the company apps were wiped from my personal cell phone; and this afternoon the two authenticator apps I use when logging into the client website, which I also need to access for work, were also wiped away and transferred to my new firm-owned cell. I'm still not quite used to having to carry around two cell phones, and tomorrow will be interesting as I'm leaving my laptop at the office when I go to the dentist to get my new crowns fitted, but I'll figure it out as and when. I'm just glad this helps me separate work and life even more, which not coincidentally is one of this week's themes. Now I need to get ready for three consecutive Manhattan days...

Music Hath Charms

Now that everything's straightened out with my work iPhone, I'm paying more attention to what will once again become my personal-only phone once it's no longer firm-managed in about a week and a half. Today I decided to try and move a bit more into 21st century audio, and tried out my Apple Music subscription by rifling through a bunch of stations with songs and artists from the last quarter century or so. I pretty much stopped following music in the early '90s due to a confluence of issues (my pissedness at how CD sellers completely overtook vinyl to the point where my preferred way of listening went the way of the dodo, at least back then; also other things like the internet and personal stuff) so I thought this might be a nice way to catch up. And as it happens, I'm still an Old, as my new favorite album is Elton John's and Brandi Carlisle's Who Believes in Angels?, which I listened to and loved on my homeward commute. But I'm determined to also like other music making kids, once I obsess over Carlisle's entire discography...

Silly Site o' the Day

The new corporate iPhone is up and running, and I'm currently updating both phones to iOS 18.4. But never mind all that; it's friggin' COLD out there. Not too bad waiting for the bus, as I donned my winter jacket, but we've put on the space heater in the bedroom for the second night running as I don't want to encounter any more cold-induced cramping for awhile. It was interesting watching yesterday's Yankee game in Detroit where it was snowing; they lost today, but the equally shivery Mets pulled off their sixth in a row. Speaking of New York:

 

As most of you may know, I'm partial to the Chrysler Building myself, and am lucky enough to see it every time I leave our current office location, like today. Via Laughing Squid.

One Too Many Cell Phones

I was finally feeling well enough today to attempt, with Robin's help, activating my new "corporate liable mobility program" iPhone 16. Everything went off without a hitch, and tomorrow I'm going to have our local IT guy swing by and do the last touches, at which time the countdown begins for firm apps to exit my personal cell phone. So gratifying to finally have the head to get this done! All packed up now for whatever comes my way tomorrow, most of which I think I'll handle without a hitch. Getting back to 100% again!

Tech Wizardry

The last barrier to me being fully functional in my new assignment has been lifted, and I can now log onto the client's website, my client-based email, and even Microsoft Teams in case I need to quickly contact the tech support guy again. I love that today was nice and relaxing, except I couldn't make any travel arrangements for one of my partners because of the Heathrow mess. But all in all I'm pretty happy, I rejiggered the order of my apps on my phone because two of them are authenticaters that I need in this new capacity, and I have ordered a "corporate liable mobile device" (basically an iPhone 16 managed by the firm) which will ship soon so Robin has something else to help me play with. Being married so long to an early Mac adopter has its perks!

Subject to Interviewing

I was in a great mood this afternoon when the Riverdale Press reporter called to interview me about my diabetes and whether it affected my mental health (I don't think it has), as I'd been in the space-heated home office (finally quiet as the outside construction has ended) most of the day and had just submitted all my folks' timesheets and updated my iPhone to the latest version after my firm finally gave us the go-ahead. Now I have to go through the firm's mobile Outlook to get work email, which used to be in the same place as my personal email accounts, but all's good and all my Apple devices are finally equipped with the latest operating systems, even my Apple watch! Now I've eaten and done my 20 minutes on the exercise bike and showered, and it's time to relax a bit before gearing up for tomorrow's visit to Mom in the nursing home. Hope your weekends are all nice as well!

Silly Site o' the Day

It's Election Day in the US, and we're hoping for the best and... well, I don't even know how to prepare for the worst as one candidate is an existential threat to pretty much the entire world. So I'm keeping busy at the office, and Robin's keeping busy at home. Today we found out that our landline has been automatically forwarding calls to Optimum's online answering machine (not even our own!) for about a week, which means we've missed all incoming calls. I'm grateful we haven't heard the political spam ones, but there was at least one from my uncle I would have liked to have heard. Everything's all fixed now, and I'll be making a couple outgoing calls tomorrow to make sure everyone knows what happened. I think we're moving closer to a cell-only life, probably when I retire. In the meantime, enjoy this ballot-box stand-up comedy.

Silly Site o' the Day

Whew, my new credit card came in today to replace the one that had a teeny tiny (like $10) fraudulent charge on it last week. I now have it it set up on all the usual places, updated auto-pay stuff, all that jazz. It was surprisingly easy, thanks to the list I now keep of where my credit card is used for auto-pay stuff (EZ Pass and the like) and my in-house IT person. Robin and I still can't figure out how to verify one of my other cards on my iPhone or Apple Watch, but I do still carry the physical cards with me so that's not a big deal. I feel settled again, at least for now. Maybe I'll go outside tomorrow and watch the birds with Birdcast (via PZ Myers).