New Posts are Coming!

Posted on July 23, 2016July 23, 2016 by Dusty Roads

Sorry I’ve been so lazy. The busier it gets at work the less time I want to spend on the computer during my “off hours”. Not only that but I’m finding that instead of rush , rush, rush to do things and find things to write about, there is something to be said for enjoying the slow lane.

It’s amazing how tired I get this time of year. The mental work is as exhausting as running a mile! Last Saturday I had all these big plans and instead slept all day! Oops!

Well enough said. I’m feeling more energized today so I’m going to work on catching up on some posts for you. You still need to see the Puffins!

The Soft Kitty Conundrum

Posted on January 10, 2016January 10, 2016 by Dusty Roads

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Anyone familiar with the “Big Bang Theory” has heard Sheldon’s whine “Sing Soft Kitty for me”.

It’s the lullaby that provides comfort when sickness strikes the sitcom.

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The little song may give Sheldon comfort but it is turning into a headache for Warner Bros.

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The song was written in the 1930’s by Edith Newlin who passed away in 2004. A recent lawsuit by the daughters of the author/composer claims copy-write infringement. The suit maintains that Warner Bros. sought permission in 2007 from Willis Music Co., a company that previously published the lyrics in a book titled “Songs for the Nursery School.” According to Newlin’s daughters, Willis Music Co. authorized the use of lyrics without consultation or permission.

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What I find most interesting is that these heirs didn’t know anything about the song’s use until they ran across a blog entry about the show while researching their mother’s life.

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How long does a copy-write last before it becomes public domain anyway??Until 1977 I think these time frames applied:

All works published in the U.S. before 1923
All works published with a copyright notice from 1923 through 1963 without copyright renewal
All works published without a copyright notice from 1923 through 1977
All works published without a copyright notice from 1978 through March 1, 1989, and without subsequent registration within 5 years

A whole new set of expiration dates were set by congress in 1977 so who knows if they have a case or not. Can even the collective big brains of the geniuses on BBT figure it out? I’m sure lots of high priced lawyers are racking up the billable hours on this right now.

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In the meantime, I love my Soft Kitty T-shirt. And so do all the folks that stop me on the street to tell me they like it too!

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Work From Home

Posted on January 8, 2016January 8, 2016 by Dusty Roads

Hi everyone

I had some disturbing news on the work front and although I am not at liberty to share any details I will say that my days of working from home seem to be numbered. Working from home is the #1 perk of my job and its why I am willing to put in such long hours during our busy season. I am crushed to learn that management, in their wisdom, feels that “we” can be more productive working 9-6 in an office.

I suppose I should be thankful I have a job these days and one that pays enough so that I can enjoy life a little but I’m at the point in my life that I no longer want the stress of a morning or afternoon commute. It feels like wasted time to sit in traffic and traffic there will be since we’ll be working prime hours.

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If you search “work from home” jobs you find a long list of cottage industries and self employment “opportunities”. They may work for some but I’ve tried a lot of those with varying degrees of success. At this point I don’t want to be self employed or an entrepreneur. I just want to do a job , from home, and be left alone, not involved in office politics and get my paycheck. The only stress I want is from whatever the job entails, not the commute, not from who is stabbing who in the back. I prefer not to know.

I’m always one of the top producers so there’s never been a performance issue.

Anyone out there work from home? Any suggestions for someone almost 65 who is not ready to retire yet?

I really don’t want to leave my job. It’s been a good run and I like it a lot but my stomach just goes into knots when I think of commuting every day again.

Any ideas?

Ebates

Posted on January 4, 2016January 4, 2016 by Dusty Roads

Have any of you used the web page Ebates.com?

I’ve been using it off and on for about a year. I use it when I think of it. Sometimes I’m shopping and find the item I want and forget to go to Ebates first. That’s my mistake. There are so many stores in Ebates that chances are you’ll find the same store you just searched there.

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I’ll give you an example. I like to buy diabetic crew socks. They are so comfy but they can be expensive and hard to find. I used to get them a Walmart but they haven’t had them the last couple of times I looked. I tried my local CVS store and struck out too. Anyway, Saturday I had a list of things I was going to try to find but before I went out in the cold to shop I decided to search the internet one more time.

I found some rather expensive diabetic socks…$9.99 for 1 pair. Walgreen’s online also had diabetic socks. They were $5.49 for 1 pair. Armed with that information I moved over to the Ebates site and entered “Diabetic socks” and bingo, there they were. I placed my order through Ebates. That particular order carried a 2% rebate. That goes on my account.

In about a month I’ll get a check in the mail for all the rebates I’ve earned since the last check. I think they send it monthly but I really haven’t paid that much attention. The cost to me was the same whether I ordered direct or went through Ebates so why not go for the rebate?

But what I really want to mention is that I also ordered from another store. I ordered some slippers. They have a hard sole so they were not inexpensive. I got an email from Ebates Customer Service saying they had tracked me to the store but did not receive the order from the store. That was a surprise. They asked me to send them a copy of my order receipt. I followed their instructions and copy/pasted the info in the form.

Believe it or not I got an email right back explaining that they still didn’t have the order from the store but that with my documentation they were adding my rebate to my account. If they did not get the order from the store , they would follow up with the store! WOW, a pro-active customer service department.

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I’ve always enjoyed getting Ebates emails saying “Your Big Fat Check is on the way” and opening the mail to find a check waiting even if it’s only $9 or $10 but throw in this customer service and I think I will make an effort to use the website more often.

Have any of you had any experience with them?