It's all about the specs

I hope I find you in great spirit. Driving to work and driving home today with the sun out makes sooooo much difference although it is still bloomin' cold. There's a hint of spring about. Indeed, next door has had some Leylandii 'trees' which formed their front garden hedge drastically cut back today which brings so much more light to the Rise and gives me the encouragement to get into the garden this weekend if the current good forecast holds - (they may decide to change it because it doesn't show enough doom and gloom.)

I bought a new camcorder yesterday to replace the one I've had a few years and had gone to meet its director in the sky or wherever deceased camcorders go. I was outside Makro at 7 am when the store opened because it's the start of their special offers and I expected crowds and hoards of bargain hunters. There was just me. I was the only berk to brave the early morning snow. I was given the wrong camcorder which was on special offer and didn't realise until I got to work - the model I wanted was the Gz-MS120AEK. I was given the GZ-MS120BEK which is in an identical box and is the same price.

Now what's a letter between friends, but the camera I wanted was the better specification and was normally £50 dearer than the special offer price. They changed it without a problem and I tried my stumbling best to engage in conversation with the assistant who was perhaps under some pressure on the refunds counter. I said, among other things that the camcorder I actually wanted, the AEK was a better spec even though it was the same price as the BEK. She smiled knowingly and muttered something like "blokes and higher specifications - it's all about the specs." Hmmmm, I wish I'd asked her what experience brought that remark to the surface.

"Plus there's a £30 cash back by the maker which made the camcorder really good value" - this went over her head. My conversational small talk skills needs work.

Now even though it was sunny today on the way home, I always have my lights on 'Auto' mode so it detects what the weather is and light conditions and it comes on or goes off accordingly so far this has worked faultlessly although ask me HOW it works and I have no idea. However, today, facing beautiful late afternoon dazzling winter's sun, the lights came on without prompting. The woman in the new Ford Focus in front of me was looking in her rear view mirror clearly thinking I had flashed her. I could see the frown in her eyes - if looks could kill.

That's when higher specs can come and bite you in the ass!

Brother in law next door has been on a course and has sent me this little gem, author unknown about the famous spell checking facilities on word processing applications - the 'Bill Gates effect.' By sheer co-incidence, I was talking with a colleague today about her daughter's spelling which is apparently poor and her school, when challenged were not at all concerned and stated that it didn't really matter that much.

Ode to my spellchecker

Eye have a spelling checker, it came with my pea sea
It plainly marks four my revue miss steaks eye kin knot sea.
Eye strike a quay and type a word and weight for it to say
Weather eye yam wrong oar write, it shows me strait a weigh.
As soon as a mist ache is maid it nose bee fore two long
And eye can put the error rite its rare lea ever wrong.
Eye have run this poem threw it I’m shore your pleased to no
It’s letter perfect awl the way, my checker told me sew.

Chat soon

ta-ra.