Some Of The Tired Excuses Commonly Used To Get Out Of Socializing

Yep, gotta love the Spring and Summer seasons (or simply Summer if you're far enough South). It's when everything and everyone usually comes out and spends more time outdoors.

This being said, there will be people you can't wait to see and spend time with: friends, family, significant others, crushes. Then there are the rest: those that you are trying to avoid like the plague.

You've heard them, you've probably used them, but here are some of the common excuses used to blow off certain folk.

1. Sorry my phone died and I missed your call/text

In the era of smartphones, you would think it would be easier to reach someone. Wrong. It's actually doable to blame not seeing someone on your device, since basically you have everything on it.

2. I'm going out of town

Yeah you stay out of town more than a travel agent. Yet you post updates, location check-ins and pictures of you and other friends.

3.  I fell asleep early

4. I slept in

5. I had an old friend from out of town come in for a few days

6. I forgot my college homecoming/reunion is coming up.

7. I was in the gym or running.

Obviously one of my favorite ones

8. I'm going on vacation

9. I have an exam tomorrow and two papers this week

10. My relative graduates school this week

11.  It's a holiday weekend

OK I will stop here. The bottom line is miss us all with the excuses. If you don't want to make time for someone, tell them discreetly, honestly and clearly. Please constantly stop making yourself unavailable, unless you're the President of the United States.

Good grief indeed Charlie Brown.

What are some other excuses you have heard and/or used?

Technology and Social Media Have Really Changed Pictures

It is without question that we are in the most picture taking era we have ever been in. Cameras are easily available on our cell phones/smart phones and even tablets.

Nowadays, some of the main reasons one chooses a particular smartphone is for the type of camera: the resolution, front facing feature for selfies, size, and also easy availability to upload photos to social media.

Photos have definitely enhanced the social media process, so much that Instagram was created, and goes hand in hand with Facebook. You take pics from a night out, an event or just for the heck of it and instanteously share them.

Many even back their pictures up to the Cloud and print their pictures so they can forever preserve the memories.

Digital cameras and social networking both became popular in the 90s. During these days, you had to have a scanner to save your photos to a disk and then upload them to your pages. Things continued evolving as MySpace and Facebook came along. Then cell phones with cameras were introduced around the same time. It's almost like this was a match made in Heaven and has worked out well.

One can do so much with photos from simply the smartphone. Pictures can be edited, cropped, placed into multiple frames as a collage, and so forth. Apps such as PhotoGrid and PicsArt are perfect for this and even work well with all of the social networks.

Both technology and social media will continue to evolve, as will our capability to preserve memories and day to day living.

Interrupting Phone Conversations: Ummm, Excuse You!

I was raised with a high standard of decorum and manners, that stretched beyond "please and thank you."  My mom wanted her sons to be polite, respectful gentleman, period. She especially stressed that with phone conversations. My brother and I both l learned at an early age when Mom was on the telephone, not to interrupt her,  and to be quiet so she could hear the other person.

Technology has changed this paradigm in a major way. I will be on my cell phone in public and people will not only say hi or hug me (both are fine) but they will try and have a conversation with me. Sometimes if the call is not important, I will call them back and talk with the live person. However, I have been known to give people the side-eye indicating "I'm on the phone, please do not interrupt. "  That matters not to many people. 

It does seem to be a learned behavior also. Children see their parents interrupting people's conversations in public, so they see nothing wrong with doing the same. One of my best friends has a five year old daughter and he's teaching her the old school manners that we both grew up learning. We were on the phone once and the young child kept hollering and screaming for her daddy. My friend used a stern tone and said "baby I'm on the phone right now, please wait a minute. ". If only more parents did this.

Each year brings a new piece of technology.  Windows 8. Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.1. And now the iPhone 5c and 5s. With each new piece of technology comes more features to make personal communication obsolete and irrevelent.

However, being kind and considerate and simply treating others like you want to be treated should never go out of style.  If you see someone on the phone, signal or wave at them, then wait until they get off the phone. It's that easy. Rarely does anyone interrupting have a true emergency anyways.

Now even with Blutooth and hands free devices, it often may be difficult to see if someone is on the phone or not.  However, once you realize it, the same rules apply.

People don't often realize how much something affects them until they experience it and that's sad. 

Seven Cell Phone Games Of Note

One of the things that have made smartphones and tablets popular have been high quality games with awesome graphics. They can easily pass the time at a restaurant, social gathering, waiting room, or simply at home after a long day.

Here are seven such games available in the Google Play store that provide this excitement.

1. Candy Crush Saga

This is without question the most popular and addictive cell phone game of the year. Thousands download and play it everyday. It's advantageous to have friends to send you lives, unlock episodes and such. I am not currently playing it because I feel it's based a lot on luck and chance, plus the developers try to trick you into buying the tools that help you to complete each level easily.

2. Family Feud and Friends

I have always been a fan of Family Feud and of course of trivia and surveys. This game is my current addiction. It mirrors the real game in that friends can help each other complete Fast Money Rounds and gain levels.

3. Poker

Card games seem to never go out of style. There are several variations and versions of Texas Hold Em Poker that many still love to play. There are some that play for money, but many do it for the fun.

4. Angry Birds

Even with four different versions of the game, the original Angry Birds continues to be very popular. It's based on skill and a little luck. You want to beat every level on the game, not unlike many other games. Angry Birds has become a cultural phenomemon, which is where Candy Crush may be headed next.

5. Words With Friends

This game also continues to be popular, whether or not you use cheat codes. It's very similar to Scrabble, and people love testing their prowess on words and puzzles.

6. Temple Run

This game is really exciting as you move through levels in a 3rd person view. You jump, dodge, slide and glide your way to victory.

7. 4 Pics Games

You have these various games where given 4 Pics, you must choose 1 word, song, or other such item. These games are addicting and challenging. I haven't seen many master these games yet.

So what is your favorite cell phone game? Could it be Fruit Ninja? Bejeweled Blitz? Subway Surfers?

Text Neck Is Serious

Usage of cellphones has increased hundred fold over the past few decades. The introduction and expansion of smartphones into mini computing and texting devices that are often touchscreen or tailored to heavy eye and finger usage have been popular.

There are always side effects obviously. Outside of contract committments, data capping, and the overall expenses, you cannot forget the wear and tear physically. And no this is beyond carpal tunnel. There is a condition called text neck.
Trust me, text neck is very real. Often many of us do it out of habit. This goes along with proper poise and posture. Several people drop their necks while playing with their cell phones. This causes tension on the back neck tissue and muscles and can even cause nerve damage in the upper back.

However, awareness and prevention is key. An ounce of preventiom is worth a pound of cure. What you want to do is try to hold your neck and back in an upright position. Then hold your phone in front of your face to avoid even slumping your eyes. Also, use both hands if possible to increase comfort.

I have practiced these techniques personally and the differences in comfort is astounding. Lying down and holding your phone over you is also effective.

Many of love our iPhones, Galaxys, Notes, and other mobile devices. Therefore, we deserve to use them without fear of suffering permanent damage to your upper body torso. 

Balance is key in achieving goals and living a healthy life. Apply this balance to your cell phone usage and you can avoid those annoying neck pains and cricks.

Cash Register Scams: Be On The Lookout!

The next time you stop in the store, especially if you're buying a large quantity of stuff, be careful. Cash registers have been scamming folks for years. Now with technology more advanced, it is both easier to scam but harder to get by with.


I have an uncle that's a mathematical genius. He had an automatic calculator in his head. He could walk into a grocery store, have a buggy filled with items, and know the exact amount of everything in the cart. This included tax, discounts, and the whole nine. He was in essence smarter than the registers. He would regularly argue with cashiers and managers when they would try to short him. Of course he was always on the winning end. This is when I began wondering how many folks get shorted daily.

One telltale sign a store is trying to fool you in 2013 is those registers that are dark and you cannot see what they are charging you. You need not be my uncle to see if you're being scammed. Have your cell phone/smartphone and utilize your calculator. Some dishonest stores do try to overcharge. Be prepared! It has made local and national news in the past.

Also, if you are using bonus cards, coupons, or specials, make sure you are getting those benefits. Some places like to inconveniently forget and charge you full price. That has happened to me a few times. It can be an honest mistake but still keep your guard up.

Cash registers can be rigged and flawed. Perhaps this is why many of them show short balances when exchanged. However, this is a problem that needs to be corrected.

Therefore, know how much your items are, demand to see the price as it is registered, and double check your receipt. It is easy to overlook something, so don't allow these stores to take advantage. This is real and may have already happened to you. Ending it starts with the patrons so take a stand!

Instagram: Review, Tips, and Tricks

It appears the latest (and currently hottest) social networking app is Instagram. It has been popular with the iPhones for about two years now. Two things happened last April 2012:  Instagram became available for Android phones, and Facebook bought Instagram. They thought it would be great to integrate the two networks.  So far, it seems to be a smart move

Instagram has really captured some of the greatest things about modern smartphones: taking and sharing photos, networking with others, sharing photos with and to other social media outlets, and the ability to simply express yourself. It is photo based, but people use other apps such as Textgram and Versagram to post quotes. Instachat is even available for the iPhone users, and should be available in the Google Play market before long. You can also geotag your photos, allowing folks to know the location of the photos/images posted. Consider it a combination of Facebook and Twitter, or even a more visual Twitter.

Here are some tips I've picked up in my short time on Instagram to help others just beginning, or those already on to improve their overall Instagram profiles.

1. Have a variety of images

Don't just have a bunch of quotes, self-shots of yourself, or pictures of food. Strike a nice, healthy balance.

2. Participate in monthly photo challenges and Throwback Thursday #tbt

This makes Instagram more fun, and makes your IG more diverse and exciting. It can be like a scavenger hunt completing photo challenges, finding unique photos to fill out the month. Also, Throw back Thursday is always nostalgic. You can even post photos of old TVs, shoes, phones, and memorabilia. I look forward to Thursday to see what appears on my news feed.

3. Interact with others.

This is self-explanatory, but show your followers love. Like and comment on their photos. Repost when they have cool images and quotes. Also, when a person likes four or more of your photos in a row, screenshot them in your notifications (if your phone has this feature) , post that as an image, and shout them out.

4. Keep the hash tags to a minimum.

One thing that can be messy and cluttered is those photos with about 30 hash tags, often these being long, random words. Choose your hash tags carefully, and keep them to a minimum of five or six.

5. Remember it is social media so,

Enjoy it and have fun.  However, be careful how you want yourself portrayed. A picture is worth a 1,000 words. Therefore, you want images that are unique to you, but present you in a positive light. You can attract the wrong type of attention, or turn away certain people for your posts. Yes it is YOUR Instagram. However remember there are decorum and a Terms and Conditions clause. You do not want your account being flagged.

Follow me at my popular nickname/handle @drewhouse74. As I say in my headline, mine is an Instagram like no other. I believe I have held true to that thus far.