Gremlins 4

They're Baa-aack! Gremlins are back in iPhone 4!

Coming This Fall only to an iPhone 4 Near You!  This fall Steve Jobs and Steven Spielberg have joined forces to bring you the ultimate in entertainment pleasure where random Gremlins will be placed inside your iPhone 4.  Watch as your iPhone 4 decides to have a mind all of it's own.  You wake up after midnight and think it's really still early enough for that midnight snack.  Then when you least expect it your iPhone has cocooned and turned into an Android.  AAAAAAARGGGGHHH!  The horror.  Thus leaving you a victim of the evil Steve duo and their trickery to get you to buy the all new iPhone 5 (pre-loaded of course with Steven Spielberg's trailer for "Welcome Home ET" starring Drew Barrymore!)

Okay now, seriously Steve Jobs, enough of the games what's up with my iPhone 4? This is my 3rd one and it's worse than my last one.  No, you can't blame it on my technology force-field either.  I admit I do have one and it does cause some muckery to ensue around me from time to time but this is just a bit too much.

See, it all started waaaaaay back when, with my my very first iPhone, and lets not forget I got rid of my blackberry because I just "had" to have an iPhone, duh.  At first I began to think it was me and my inability to adapt to technology or my little fingers that have a hard time doing as they are told when I am typing.  Then I got smart and started asking and of course doing some Google and Youtube video searches about people just like me.  I found I was part of a small niche community of Apple fans who were willing to face chastisement by openly admitting I was unhappy with my iPhone. I felt like a second class citizen in a 12-step program (no I haven't been to one).

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

What I really want to know is either there are Gremlins, or little demons who have taken up residence and are living inside of it.  Is it just me or is anyone else out there having to make frequent trips to the apple store (which are such a joy I might add, as on my last trip seemed as though it was a playground not an electronics store)?  Only to have the "Genius" tell me, "It is very odd the things you are describing, but just for good measure and because you are still under warranty that I'll go ahead and replace it."   Between the lines, what that really means is they are giving you a previously mucked up iphone that someone else had to get rid of because it had little demons inside it - it was sent back to apple land to be made all better (supposedly)....

Then slowly by surely I began to come to terms with this dilema and realized I was really one of millions of dissatified customers.  That was when all of a sudden a Cherub flew in from on high and a golden voice carried from afar off spoke and claimed "iPhone 3G will be coming soon".  Quickly I went to replace my 2-time replaced iPhone Original for the all new 3G and was again... let down.  Then repeat scenario when I went from the iPhone 3G to the 3GS then on to the iPhone 4.

So what was a girl left to do?

Now I must be left to my own divises and wait.  Wait.  Wait, until the day comes that I have the iPhone 5 in my grabby little palms.  Just whatever you do, do n0t feed any of your iPhone's  after midnight or you might end up staring down the face of a little Gremlin, I mean Genius.

Blessings, Love & Music,
Ava xo

www.avaaston.com

Why It Is Important to Always Have Internet Access

Florida's Friendliest Non-Internet Hometown...

Well.... this is an obvious for so many reasons. No matter how much we may say we want to or would like to be able to unplug, lets face it, you really can not even really enjoy free time without having internet access. For me anyway, it is just that simple. We have become so connected to our technology.  That is unless you are Mr. Bricks and still using the AOL dial up internet from the free CD they sent in the mail, just sayin.

For the rest of us however, not so much. It's a quaint little almost romantic thought to think things like:  hmmm I would love to spend the weekend reading a good book (I mean for crying out loud even books are electronic now), doing yard work (not so much for me on that one since I have to steer clear of the poison ivy/oak/sumack growing amuck in my yard - or go outside in a biohazard suit), not look at the multimedia cell phone, stay off of twitter, etc....  That is until you actually try it.  

Check movie times.... Nope
Create playlist for road trip... Nope
Update facebook status... Nope
Read your favorite blog by Ava Aston... Nope
Get directions to the beach... Nope
Find out how to soothe a sunburn... Nope
Find a good restaurant... Nope
Find out what happened on your favorite reality show that you missed... Nope
Write a letter, oops I mean who does that anyway I mean send an email... Nope
Find out the weather of where you're going before you go... Nope
Mobile banking... Nope
Get info about what the current Kohl's promotion is... Nope
Share vacation photos with friends/family instantly... Nope
Take a pic of your dinner, so you can email it to Mr. Bricks and gross him out because it is so healthy... Nope  

I mean think about it... just four short years ago being able to suf the web "on the go" meant using a blackberry which was not very fast with inet lets face it, or carrying your laptop with wifi around in your car and seeing how close you could get to a building to be able to log into an unsecured signal.... Me do that? I would never....But to make sure I was still winning my latest Ebay auction treasure, you bet I did.  

So even if you decide you want to give it up for a little bit, it really is not that realistic.  I mean unless you're retired and living in a retirement community like "The Villages" in sunny south Florida.  Why on earth would you need internet access living there where the number one used mobile device is a golf cart?  I mean this place even has their own Ruby Tuesday Restaurant, grocery store, entertainment, golf course, post office, church, movie theatre, heck they even have a college for lifetime learning.... So I guess in this case, if you are retired and living some place like The Villages, you may not "need" internet.  For the rest of us living in the 21st century it's just become a necessary part of life.   

 Have a blessed day & surf's up (internet surfing that is) ;D
Ava  xox

   

You Don't Have to Like What I Like

Paula Abdul's  Opposites Attract

When you are in your own home and you don't even know the person across the dinner table from you, you can chalk it up to "opposites attracts", or hello, you just invited a stalker for dinner. Let's hope it's because opposites attracts and you and your soul mate are having a Mars vs Venus moment.

However, this is not just a romantic issue, because even many of your BFF's and close co-workers can be totally opposite than you, and not like what you like, yet there still could be a good working relationship or friendship built upon the differences with that person.

Take my manager Mr. Bricks (Take him please, SFX: rim shot) Thank you, thank you, thank your very much. I will be here on this blog all week. (SFX: rim shot) Tonight you have a choice between fish or chicken and I recommend the fish. (SFX: rim shot) Don't forget to tip your waiters and waitresses.....Seriously, Mr. Bricks and I are polar opposites, yet somehow we stumble along in our business relationship just fine.

Here are some examples:

Ava's Favorite Beverage:  Vitamin Water Zero

Mr. Bricks' Favorite Beverage: Diet Coke

Ava's Snack of Choice:  Zone Bars

Mr. Bricks' Snack of Choice: Slim Jim's Sausage Sticks

Music on Ava's Ipod: Goo Goo Dolls, Bruno Mars, Kelly Clarkston, U2

Music on Mr. Bricks' iPod:  Disco

Ava's Favorite Workout Trainers: Jillian Michaels, Bob Harper, Brett Hoebel, Tony Horton

Mr. Bricks' Favorite Workout Trainer: Ronald McDonald

Ava's Favorite Chain Restaurant: Panera

Mr. Bricks' Favorite Chain Restaurant: McDonald's  (tied with Wendy's, Arby's, Carl's Jr., Taco Bell, Subway, Quiznos, Zaks, White Castle,   Popeye's Chicken, Dominos

Ava's Favorite Phrases: "Muckery", "Good Gravy" and "What's wrong with your noggin?"

Mr. Bricks' Favorite Phrases: "Do fries come with that?" and "Can I Supersize the meal please"

Ava's Favorite iPhone App:  iTunes App, Doggies Mamas App

Mr. Bricks' Favorite iPhone App:  None. Rotary dial phones don't  have apps

In my fan mail I get all sorts of muckery sent to me. Clearly, I am thrilled with each and every person who takes the time to write to me, but I can tell from what some fans wrote and send that they sometimes like very different things than me, and perhaps my music is the only thing we might have in common.  That is OK with me. You don't have to like what I like. I enjoy learning about different places and different things. This whole learning thing is pretty cool. It keeps my noggin free of cobwebs.

Blessings,

Ava

xox

There's an App for That

More than 500 million applications have been downloaded from Apple's iTunes App Store for the iPhone and iPod touch. I highly recommend the Greek Speak app - just sayin.

Last night I was chatting on Skype with my manager Mr. Bricks about another really cool new app I just downloaded for my iPhone called my fitness pal. I love this app because I can log my meals and exercise even when I am on the road. You know this Greek girl loves her work outs and health food. I am not trying to lose any weight, but for those who are it's a perfect way to customize to your unique weight loss goals -hint, hint Mr. Bricks!!

Let's see what other apps do I have on my phone? Oh, I have a US Constitution app, Flickster app, Drudge report app, for my music I have a MySpace App, sneaker freaker app, Facebook app, TwitPic app, Kohl's app (for store locator and sale ads), Chase app for my mobile banking, bible verse app, Ebay app and many others.

It truly does seem like there is an app for absolutely everything. Here are some just plain weird apps that are out there:

Hello Cow! Touch the cow on the screen and hear it go “moo” in a variety of different ways. This one is apparently aimed at kids and toddlers, to keep them distracted on long trips etc. Thank you, Steve Jobs and ‘Hello Cow’ creators, for neutralizing kids’ incredibly annoying thirst for knowledge, answers and candy.

Hold On. With this app you must hold down a (virtual, on-screen) button for as long as possible. That’s it, seriously. You can compete against the world though, but finding out that you’re the best in the world at this particular app could, and probably should, lead to depression.

Hang Time: This is a good one. ‘Hang Time’ senses for how long your iPhone is in the air. Not for people who have trouble catching objects.

Zits and Giggles. Pop the zits on-screen. Proper disgusting.

Rimshots and Crickets. Featuring sound effects such as Rimshot (badum-tish), Crickets (*chirp*), “Sad”, Trombone (wa-wah-wahh) and Golf Clap /Slow Clap, this amazing app is for you if you like to mock you friends with ironically placed rimshot sounds. And the Cricket sound is there to fill the awkward silences, so you’ll never get bored next time you hand out with your friends.  Note to Self: I think I need to get this app for my conversations with Mr. Bricks.

CSI Finger Print and Spy Kit. Ever wanted to be as cool as James Bond or for that matter ever wanted to go into FBI but couldn’t? Well, this app might help in healing some old wounds for you. You can fulfill your espionage fantasies using this app. This app includes features such as Advanced CSI Finger Print Scanner, CSI Lie Detector, CSI Metal Detector, Dog Attack, High frequency sound gun, Spy Recorder and Most Wanted List.

So virtually anything you can think of, yes, there's an app for that!

And yes I do have a PayPal app, just in case you go to my website and order a CD. Your order will show up instantly on my phone and I will ship it out, to you - from me, with love the very next day - just sayin'

Blessings,

Ava

xox