A Lazy Sunday Freeform Meandering Thread...

1. 53

   paradigm searchposted 10 years ago

   Talk about whatever you want. I'll start.
   
   A couple old January 2014 website posts of mine suddenly started getting very light traffic. So I'm busily editing/updating them as we speak. Then social media blitz to follow.
   
   Today is the day I finally finish fixing the swamp cooler. Just in time for the 90+ degrees days predicted to show up later this week.
   
   Why when I use HP Ads there are usually 4 ads on the right side, but when I use straight AdSense there is usually only 1 ad on the right side? Grossly unfair and am working up the energy for a separate rant thread about that.
   
   Where the heck did April go?

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      lobobrandonposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      April is almost out of the door. You serious about the number of ads?

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         paradigm searchposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         Yep, been noticing it for a long time.

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   2. 74

      TIMETRAVELER2posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I've been taking a little time off and have only been checking in daily to see how my hubs are doing...still waiting for that Google update thing, but so far not seeing any change one way or the other.
      
      What I AM seeing is that my Hubber score has dropped from 94 to 89, which kind of ticks me off since I have worked my butt off this year to make improvements, participate, etc.  At one time it went as high as 100. 
      
      If stepping away for a week or two has this effect, I'm going to stop working so hard at this.  It has not affected my income and I know it doesn't mean anything, but it's like telling me that if I stop grinding away every day, my body of work loses value.
      
      Very insulting.  Makes me think that the new scoring system is causing more upset than its worth.

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      1. 53

         paradigm searchposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         I thought HP said otherwise, but based on what I've been seeing I would swear that traffic is still affecting Hubber score.

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         1. 74

            TIMETRAVELER2posted 10 years agoin reply to this

            You may be right because yesterday I had a bit of a surge in views and my Hubber score went up to 91!

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   3. 73

      csmiravite-blogsposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I edited several hubs and saw my hub scores shoot up --- on all hubs. I am still not finished  and it would take me a couple of days more. The funny thing, was that my hubber score went down from as high as 98 to a 92 now. I wonder what I did wrong... 
      
      Having hot coco before I hit the sack. It was a lovely day 

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      1. 53

         paradigm searchposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         Chili con carne topped with cheddar cheese here. And I just saw a hummingbird outside. Lazy, meandering Sunday indeed. Digesting the chili is going to slow down my swamp cooler repairs.

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         1. 73

            csmiravite-blogsposted 10 years agoin reply to this

            You're going bonkers, PDS  --- chinny chin chin! I'll get another cup of coco and I am out of here!

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            paradigm searchposted 10 years agoin reply to this

            Just how exactly does one cook hummingbird wings...?

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      2. 98

         Rochelle Frankposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         I'm always seeing posts that say "I did this and my scores went up" or "I did that and my views went down" or I did this or that and my hubber score went up... or down".
         For some reason, people seem to think that the things they do (or don't do) have a direct correlation to the numbers in their account. From my experience, I can say I have seen all of those numbers go down (or up) when I have done absolutely nothing, and the same is true when I have done lots of stuff. 
         I think we have to give up the idea that our actions or inactions have any connection with the statistics we see.

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         1. 53

            paradigm searchposted 10 years agoin reply to this

            Rochelle, HP should put this link in their Learning Center.
            
            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOeKidp-iWo

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   4. 79

      colorfuloneposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      My desire is for May to come so I can hunt for the highly prized morel mushrooms. Last spring was disappointing because it was not a good year for morel lovers here with the weather being too cool.

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      1. 53

         paradigm searchposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         I haven't had mushrooms in a long time. I checked the nutrition data, not bad. I think I'll start including them in my diet again.
         
         Meanwhile, the repairs are done! I have air conditioning again! I shall alert the media.
         
         The rest of the day I shall dedicate to slackerdom. Netflix beckons.

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         1. 79

            colorfuloneposted 10 years agoin reply to this

            Yeah, the 7th series of Sons of Anarchy started on Netflix yesterday!

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2. 53

   paradigm searchposted 10 years ago

   Meanwhile, here's Google Trends real-time: http://www.google.com/trends/hottrends/visualize?pn=p1

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3. 53

   paradigm searchposted 10 years ago

   And I finished editing one of my aforementioned website articles, the lead pic...
   
   Article is Top 10 Ways to Overcome Writer's Block and How to Find New Article / Blog Post Ideas. If suitably inspired, it can be found at or near the top of my Twitter feed for the time being.
   
   8:00 in the morning and the swamp cooler front panel is already removed, probability of success is high.

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4. 81

   Jason Marovichposted 10 years ago

   Meandering is good.
   
   I spend much of my time at work writing.  So after work is done, I feel no great urge to write here.
   
   That being said, I miss being excited about HubPages.  I'm disappointed that the whole thing isn't geared towards short fiction and that my stuff got bunches of views.  I'd be happy as a clam and I'd probably write more after work.
   
   But the deal is, it's geared towards consumerism.  I think our scores reflect our ability to connect with consumers by way of well written material and tantalizing media.  Writers who write well and make interesting comments and forum statements are going to be disappointed because their scores aren't 100.
   
   If I had it to do over again I'd put more thought into what niche I would cover and go at it in such a way that would satisfy my desire for views and fulfill my needs as a writer.
   
   My Hubber score sits in the 90s most of the time and I rarely publish here.  HP has been good to me. 
   
   That's enough meandering; I have biscuits in the oven.

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5. 85

   NateB11posted 10 years ago

   Finally got the smog check done on my car, earlier this week. I think it was this past week. Time slips away from me, I lose track of time. It was very recent.
   
   I say "finally" because I think I took my car to two mechanics and two smog check places both of which basically turned me away. The first smog check guy said that there was a leak or something in my exhaust pipe and I had to take the car to a mechanic that could tighten up something or another so that a reading could be made for the smog check. Took the car to a mechanic that's supposed to be the best in town for mufflers; he was rude and had me waiting for hours, so I took my car and went home.
   
   Fast forward to weeks after the first incidents, I go to another mechanic, he looks at the car, says the pipe is all rusted and messed up all the way up into the manifold (really don't know what that means, that's the gist of what he said though). He said I need to take the car to someone who can do welding and this and that, etc.
   
   So, I go to another smog check guy, banking on maybe those guys are wrong and he can do the smog check. He couldn't. Told me go get the car fixed and bring it back.
   
   Maybe a few more weeks, I take the car to this mechanic, an old-school mechanic, friendly and smart. I drive the car onto the rack, he lifts it up and looks and starts spotting what's wrong right away and telling me what he's going to do; just replace the pipe, it was loose. He said it would maybe cost me about $60 (I'm stoked at that point) and would take him about 45 minutes to do it.
   
   I take off and look at shops, get a coffee, daydream, etc. and then go back to the shop, and it's all done. He explained to me what he did, replaced the pipe, put a new bolt somewhere, etc. He only charges me $70; I am appreciative, I thought I'd be out hundreds. I thank him, ask him if he recommends a smog check place, he did.
   
   I take the car to the smog check place he recommended, it went smooth, the car passed with flying colors and they were done with the smog check within about 40 minutes.
   
   I took the car to the DMV and due to some miracle (I guess), there was hardly anyone there. I take a number, get called within a few minutes and get my car registration completed.
   
   That one day when I finally got all that done was one of those days when everything goes right. It happens.

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   1. 53

      paradigm searchposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      What a nightmare. The same is in store for me this year; every time smog test time rolls around, it turns into a major project one way or the other. California and California smog test stations truly do hate all old Camaros. It's only a matter of time before California essentially takes my car away from me.

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      1. 85

         NateB11posted 10 years agoin reply to this

         I know what you mean, I dread smog check time.
         
         In my case I just bought this old 95 Subaru Legacy Outback earlier this year, it's a good car but the guy I bought it from liked to get wild I think and wrecked it a little bit, and loosened up the exhaust pipe in the process. He'd gotten the smog done but the DMV said I still had to get it done because it hadn't been done soon enough before I bought it--has to be done within 90 days of transfer, I think. So I still had to do it.
         
         Anyway, yes, not my favorite, the whole smog check thing; but I'm relieved I finally got it done

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            Rochelle Frankposted 10 years agoin reply to this

            Haven't had to do smog checks for the past 19 years. Yes! in California, but our county doesn't require it.
            Since our air is rather pristine-- you'd think they woud want to keep it that way. I have driven behind some pretty stinky vehicles, but they are few and far between.

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            1. 85

               NateB11posted 10 years agoin reply to this

               I'm going to have to move somewhere where they don't require. I hadn't thought of the possibility that some county don't require it. Although I guess it's not too big a thing once you get it done and over with for the year.

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6. 81

   Jason Marovichposted 10 years ago

   Recap for those who don't feel like reading all of the above on a Sunday:
   
   We've had biscuits, we'll be searching for morchella (yes, I looked it up) if the weather holds, the air conditioning is on and we're still a little miffed at HubPages about our Hubber scores.
   
   Oh and we'll probably still meander some more.

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