Boy, do I have a happy Warrior Woman now…

posted by Bill Arnett @ 1:38 PM Permalink

…that this 'damned computer' is finally useful to her. She is not given to heavy, or even light, computer use as to her computers are only good for working (she has run the shipping & receiving department of the Target Store where she has worked for fourteen years). She's the only person in the store that truly uses and makes their computer system do everything but sing and dance while doing such good a job that she's had big-wigs from Minnesota, where Target's Headquarters is, come out here to try and find out her secrets to running one of the most efficient back rooms of ALL the stores, nationwide.

But she's never had any interest whatsoever in using the many MacIntosh computers I have had down through the years. 'Til now.

Our son and his fiance came home last week and Jesse advised her that he had made contact with her relatives in the Philippines, made a few adjustments to my computer, and we can now a have full audio/video connection to the Philippines, Davao Island, and Davao city (considered the seafood and fruit and vegetable capitol of the islands and with over 7,000 islands that's quite an accomplishment).

I got the biggest kick out of watching my Warrior Woman as she was visually reunited with her other son, Lito, our son's half-brother, his family, and most of all her grandson, Karlos, whom she had never seen except in still pictures.

He's such a little cutey, and extremely smart, winning every award it was possible to win at his grade level. We have had his father and momma, Odessa, open a college fund account in Karlo's name and we make monthly contributions to it. As is usual with a child his age he was missing his two front teeth and was just so precious my Warrior Woman, his grandmother, was reduced to tears of joy. And it was so nice for me to to finally be able to ascribe voices to the faces I have seen in so many pictures through the years.

We visited for hours as long streams of relatives and friends of WW's son were paraded into view to get a look at me, none of whom had ever met be before, and they all got to see that I am once again one of them thar 'long-haired hippies' which seem to amuse them to no end.

And for the first time I, too, was genuinely impressed that what would have been a twenty dollar or more audio only phone call was absolutely FREE using Mac's iChat and some bits and pieces of Google software to make the connection.

I could not help but note how seamless the connection was: absolutely stunning picture with zero pixillation and sound so clear they might as well have been sitting across the table from us. Now I understand why the phone companies want to gain control of this technology, so they can charge an arm and a leg for something like this. I think they finally realized they blew it when they laid fiberoptic cable all the way across the Pacific and then, for some insane reason, sold it to companies overseas for pennies on the dollar. That's why they have internet speeds ranging from sixteen to fifty times faster than we currently have available (although the cable broadband and DSL companies claim they will achieve speeds of 50 to 100 mb around the end of the year - yeah, I'll believe it when it's running my compute a light speed).

So, as I said, a good time was had by all, free, and my Warrior Woman finally sees that computers can be useful at home as well as at work. It was quite a revelation for her and the sheer joy on her face and in her voice gave me no end of pleasure and happiness for her.

So you readers out there, get the software or buy a computer with the software already installed to enable contact with friends and family and give yourself a special treat money cannot buy and no one can take way from you. It's immensely gratifying, lots of fun, as well just being an all 'round a good hoot. (And for the FBI and Homeland Security people who undoubtedly monitored this overseas contact I'd just like to say shame on you for eavesdropping on innocent people and encourage you find better things to do to actually protect America! You know, like finding and arresting terrorists and stuff like that).

And it's fantastic for recluses such as me, as I am always suffering so much pain that I cannot remain on my feet doing anything for more that a couple of hours. Then I have to sit or lay in an inclining position for a few hours to recover and regain a modicum of control over the pain.

What a blast, blast, blast! So do it! You can find people from all corners of the world to video chat with and you're sure to learn something new!

Ciao, bella ami.

Labels: family, internet, technology, the inner spirit we should all enjoy., Warrior Woman