Tech Frustrations Blog

With special guest William M. Timpson, Ph.D.
Technology enables us to learn and connect with each other in ways I never imagined ...
Jul 6, 2017 - Topics: Conflict Resolution, Debates, Diversity, Facebook, Negotiation, Politics, Social Media

How Can I Help?

Recently a couple of people mentioned that conversationally I like to “throw things out there” and/or “mix it up”. The comments ...
Jun 15, 2017 - Topics: Debates, Facebook, Politics, Social Media

Chocolate makes me a better person

Sometimes I wonder if I’ve learned more about history from book clubs than formal education. Hopefully this means ...
Jun 6, 2017 - Topics: Audio Books, Hoopla

Fiddling on the Roof

Nineteen months ago State Farm notified us ...
May 27, 2017 - Topics: Facebook, Insurance, Roof, Social Media

Karma Chameleon

Loving would be easy if your colors were like my dreams” – Boy George
One great thing about meeting people from ...
Mar 23, 2017 - Topic: LED Lighting

Should I Stay or Should I Go?

Monday morning our Internet went out. We’d seen an Xfinity truck on our street, so figured they were working on the problem ...
Mar 9, 2017 - Topic: Internet Providers

The Friendly Skies

My last blog classified people as “Starters” or “Finishers”. People can also be classified as “Stackers” vs. “Spreaders” (when putting stuff ...
Mar 2, 2017 - Topics: GPS, Travel

From Start to Finish

It seems to me that most people can be classified as either a “Starter” or a “Finisher”. By this I mean that people tend to either ...
Feb 16, 2017 - Topics: GPS, Cell Phones, OfferUp-TrashNothing!-Freecycle-CraigsList

It's Complicated

HGTV is fun to watch. So is C-SPAN. In fact, a bunch of the cable channels are interesting depending on my mood. In late August of 2001, we ...
Feb 9, 2017 - Topics: TV

Walls, Barriers, Hurdles and Fences

Yesterday we started a home improvement project. Theoretically this should be “fun”, but I’ve been through enough of these in the past ...
Feb 2, 2017 - Topics: Diversity, Social Media, Home Improvement, Politics

R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Find out what it means to me

Apparently the Obama daughters attended a state dinner last year. While I’ve heard a lot of criticism of President Obama (and even his wife) ...
Jan 26, 2017 - Topics: Communication, Facebook, Social Media

Perception is Reality

Yesterday I went skiing. For those who've never skied with me, it's probably worth mentioning ... apparently I’m not the best skier ...
Jan 19, 2017 - Topics:

In the blink of an eye

Sometimes everything just works. And quickly too. A friend and fellow Michigan Tech alum made these really cute magnets ...
Jan 15, 2017 - Topics: Etsy, Social Media

So Many Choices, So Little Time

The first time I realized that a choice was going to close some doors, I was 17 years old and choosing a college. It seems funny ...
Jan 12, 2017 - Topics:

Up, Up and eBay

A while back I was given a big stack of sheet music, most of it copyrighted between 1920 and 1950. Originally it belonged to ...
Jan 5, 2017 - Topics: eBay

Keep It Real

I’ve got this “thing” where I don’t like fake stuff. I prefer diamonds over cubic zirconia (ha!), wrinkles over Botox (I don’t have to look at myself) ...
Dec 29, 2016 - Topics: Home Improvement, Houzz

"Do you know how to use a computer?"

That’s what a very nice woman asked me earlier this week when I called a reputable financial services company to discuss my pension ...
Dec 22, 2016 - Topics:

All I Want for Christmas

A collection of holiday Tech Frustrations
Dec 15, 2016 - Topics:

Translating Trump

My son sometimes stutters. My daughter is a speech therapist and says that we all do. My kids have helped me understand ...
Dec 8, 2016 - Topics: Communication, Politics

Fresh Thinking and a New Perspective

Thanksgiving was a low-tech holiday at our house. We fed the geese that live at the end of our street and colored with magic markers ...
Nov 25, 2016 - Topics: Holiday

Top 10 Reasons I'm Happy to Endure Occasional Tech Frustrations

1. Facebook enables me to connect with almost everyone I’ve ever known really easily. This week >100 of my open-minded and respectful ...
Nov 17, 2016 - Topics: Social Media

Out Neighbor Ate Our Dog!

Diversity is valuable. I’ve seen first-hand the way a diverse team can deliver high value in business. When a team includes a "Strategic Thinker", ...
Nov 10, 2016 - Topics: Diversity

Gently Down the Stream

It's been a good week on the technology front. I finished my first free audio book and started a second. I enjoyed watching the World Series. And ...
Nov 4, 2016 - Topics: Streaming

It's not you, it's them

A Tech Frustrations reader, who is also a friend, recently commented that she does "not use technology to its fullest". She wrote ...
Oct 28, 2016 - Topics: Doors

Stamina

Earlier this week an NPR “Hidden Brain” story about women in the workplace caught my attention after a friend tagged her daughter ...
Oct 21, 2016 - Topics: Working Parents, Women

Charitable Contributions Meet Tech Frustrations

Recently a friend told me that his daughter’s high school band was trying to raise money. Making a donation was as easy as going to a web site and ...
Oct 13, 2016 - Topics:

Technology (& creative thinking) Can Solve (at least some) Tech Frustrations

Last week I was back in Michigan and able to watch the Presidential Debate with my parents. At one point, as one of the candidates was ...
Oct 7, 2016 - Topics: Politics

Affordably Replacing a Key Fob

This week, while I was in Motown of all places, a woman told me a story about how expensive it was to replace (or was it repair?) her car key fob ...
Sep 30, 2016 - Topics: Cars, Car Keys

Simplifying Technology

When the Tech Frustrations web site was launched, I envisioned a “typical user”. Because I’d heard so many complaints about technology ...
Sep 25, 2016 - Topics:

Tech Frustrations Shame (and a funny story)

The list of Tech Frustrations is growing in surprising, and sometimes unexpected, ways. Many of the frustrations submitted do not ...
Sep 16, 2016 - Topics:

Cars and AirPods

The recent Tech Frustrations blog post titled “Is it me (Kathy) or you (Chevrolet)?” generated some discussion. Comments fell into two ...
Sep 8, 2016 - Topics: Cars, AirPods

The College Drop-off: Spell Checker or Home Wrecker

My friend, Sarah, just dropped her youngest child, and only daughter, off at college for the first time. Maybe you remember that feeling; you want ...
Sep 2, 2016 - Topics: Cell Phones

Is it me (Kathy) or you (Chevrolet)?

“You could have seriously injured yourself! If you put too much air in a tire it will blow up! You could have blown the tire!” That's what the young man ...
Aug 26, 2016 - Topics: Cars, Car Tires

0 Comments