Paperless Post!!!

So, you all know that I am a Procrastinator Extraordinaire, right? For example, not that I need to provide examples to those of you who know me (!), I promised to write this post by tomorrow and here it is almost tomorrow and here I sit writing this post! Frankly, I feel ahead of schedule, but I think the fine folks over at Paperless Post who provided me with some “coins” (that’s their currency) to check out their site and write about it were beginning to get a little bit nervous.

Really, this enterprise was designed for people like me (procrastinators) and you (let’s call you “busy people”) in mind. Imagine being able to create a beautiful custom invitation for anything from a barbeque to a wedding in minutes? Instead of waiting for them to come in the mail, and addressing the envelopes, and putting stamps on the envelopes, which, if you’re anything like me, probably includes a trip to the post office or the supermarket to buy stamps, you can just hit “send” and all of your invitees will receive, thanks to the miracle of the internet and the developers at Paperless Post, an invitation to Aunt Myra’s 70th Birthday Party or your cousin’s sister LouAnn’s “Sprinkle” (hey, it’s her fourth kid!) within seconds!

Really, for what amounts to the price of a stamp (and, let’s be honest, they’re not cheap anymore!), you have done your duty. Maybe instead of calling yourself “Procrastinator Extraordinaire”, you can call yourself “Partygiver Extraordinaire” – because we all know that step one of any party is getting out the darn invitations!

I’m going to use this one for Fangette’s graduation party – Yes, she is graduating from college next month. I know. I know. It’s hard to believe. I can hardly believe it myself.

 

Of course I am going to customize it, as Fangette’s name is not Chelsea Thayer nor do we live in Portland, Oregon. Although a party at The Golden Hotel does sound sort of posh! Our party will be at my sister’s house on the lake. But, I’ll be able to customize the invitation to reflect that folks should bring their swimsuits. I’ll probably leave out the fact that there will likely be nothing on the menu that will require the use of cutlery. Take that Golden Hotel! Ha!

Like other electronic invitation sites, Paperless Post will also keep track of those pesky RSVPs for you. Once you send the invitations, you’ll be able to track the responses. Always a fabulous feature.

Party season is upon us. Go ahead and try Paperless Post, why don’t you? Give yourself a gift. Planning the rest of the party will be hard enough. (I do recommend a menu that requires no cutlery, though!) Press the “easy” button for the invitations!

 

 

 

 

Ho-Hum: Voter Apathy

It seems that everywhere I turned on Election Day I came across people who looked me straight in the eye and said, “I don’t vote.”

As I am always perplexed by this behavior, even more so when I am speaking to women or to members of a minority class, and/or to young people, I asked them “Why?” While there were variations on the theme, mostly the theme was this: “It doesn’t matter anyway. They’re all the same.”

‘”They’re” not all the same’, I tried to tell them. The non-voters remained unconvinced.

As I gave up beating my head against a brick wall long ago and because there wasn’t a soap box in sight for me to stand upon, I mostly just shook my head and walked away. I felt, as I often do during election season, defeated. And sad.

A few of the more honest respondents told me that they didn’t feel comfortable voting, as they had not done any research regarding the candidates. Most referenced a lack of time as being the reason for their ignorance.

Really? They couldn’t find five minutes to search the internet to find out where a candidate stood on this, that, or the other thing? What were they doing with that five minutes? I’ll bet they spent it on the internet anyway — crushing candies, looking for cute shoes, tweeting, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

Oddly enough, when I asked these folks how difficult it would have been to find the five minutes necessary for researching a candidate — I mean, let’s face it, in our modern world most people have access to the internet when they are on the toilet! — they admitted to not really knowing what it was, exactly, that was important to them, in their roles as voters. Really?

Have we become that — and I really cannot think of a better word — stupid? There is not one single issue that is important to the average person? “What”, I asked (because I am a persistent woman), “of gun control? Abortion? Fair wages?” Crickets. I got crickets. And blank stares. Hey, at least I got something, right?

Voter apathy is difficult enough to combat, but this? I don’t even know what to call it. I suppose just plain old “apathy” says it all, doesn’t it?

One of my co-workers referenced his need for the latest video game console and intimated that if a candidate was to, say, give one away with every promised vote, he might just head to the polls and cast a ballot for this enterprising future Assemblyman or Council member. I had to patiently explain to my misguided co-worker that such a thing — paying for votes — is illegal under our current system.

The larger question, of course, is how, exactly, do you make inroads with a populace who cares more about the latest video game than it does about electing their political representatives?

And then I had a brilliant idea. Don’t promise to give them MORE technology, threaten to take away the technology they currently have. That might do the trick. Yeah. I’ll bet that would get folks out to the polls.

Where’s my jetpack?

Back in the ’70s I watched The Jetsons and bought into all the hype that the future would bring all kinds of cool things, but what I really wanted was a jetpack. I still do. I also want a robot that cleans (although I would order a model that was less sassy than Rosie; I need to be the sassiest woman in my house) and a kitchen that cooks via voice command. Oh, and I wouldn’t mind Jane Jetson’s small waist either. I’m just sayin’.