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| Insecure Writers Support Group Blog Hop |
| #IWSGbloghop |
What is the Insecure Writer's Support Group?
Founded by author Alex J. Cavanaugh, the Insecure Writer’s Support Group offers support for writers and authors alike. It provides an online database, articles and tips, a monthly blog posting, a Facebook and Instagram group, Twitter, and a monthly newsletter.
To find out more, click here.
The purpose of the group is
* to share and encourage.
* Writers can express doubts and concerns
without fear of appearing foolish or weak.
* Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance.
*It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!
You're invited to become a member of this supportive group.
Click here to sign up and/or to visit the bloggers this week.
Happy IWSG Day!
Happy September!
The awesome co-hosts for the September 3 posting of the IWSG are Kim Lajevardi, Natalie Aguirre, Nancy Gideon, and Diedre Knight!
September 3 question - What are your thoughts on using AI, such as GPChat, Raptor, and others, with your writing? Would you use it for research, storybible, or creating outlines\beats?
I do not use AI when working on a creative writing project because a story comes from my heart. I don't believe AI can replicate human emotions....yet.
Yes, I use it for research, similar to using plain old Google or reference books in the library in the pre-AI age. I use AI to brainstorm ideas just like we did in our writers' groups, meeting at the Koffee Kuppe. Although writers come up with more creative and fun discussions!
Talk About Insecure!
When my laptop broke, about a week into August 2025, I felt insecure or perhaps uncomfortable without it. A lot of my day depends on being at the desk with that little machine.
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| My broken laptop |
My laptop's plastic border around the front of the screen came unglued. I took it to Luke, my computer guy, who knows all about computers and can fix anything at his shop, Fremont Computer, in Fremont, Michigan.
He was honest and said there was no way to fix it. But, being the sweet guy he is, he taped the border onto the screen. Yes, taped it. Alas, by the next morning, the tape had lost the battle.
Okay, so Gardener Ted, also known as Handyman Ted, my hubby, took the screen out to his shop and screwed it down. I thought it was a brilliant idea, but that lasted a couple of days until the plastic around the screen cracked, resulting in broken plastic shards. It was a wreck.
We called Dell for help. They said to mail it to them for $59. so they could diagnose the damage. Three days later, they reported the laptop was at their warehouse in California and they would soon diagnose the problem. To make a long story short, they would not work on the laptop because it was a biohazard. A what?
Needless to say I had to depend on Professor Google to explain biohazard in a computer. The AI Overview explained--In the context of a laptop, "biohazard" is not a formal or universally used technical term. Instead, it is an informal label used by repair technicians to describe a device that poses a biological or health risk due to extreme filth or unsanitary conditions.
Say what??? Yes, they mailed it back to us tightly wrapped in two layers of plastic, so
the creatures or environmental dangers would not escape.
When I picked up my new laptop, I asked Luke if he had ever heard of a biohazard in a computer. He was not familiar with that term. He immediately brought my old laptop out from his workroom. He took off the back and searched around in it. I held my breath waiting for a bug to crawl out, a worm to wiggle its way between the widgets on the board, or to discover nasty, dirty junk that would make me throw up. But, no, it was clean. Thank goodness.
He said he had an experience with a laptop that came in for repair. When he checked it out, the outside of the laptop had a gooey substance in the openings. When he opened it, the entire inside was loaded with dead Japanese Beetles. He said he hightailed it out of there to throw it in the trash barrel in back of the store!
The writer part of my brain brightened. "I bet you have a lot of stories to tell about experiences as a computer guy." I can assure you I will be back to Luke's shop, but not for a repair or a new machine. I'll be back asking questions about running a computer store and listening to all his stories!!
Have you heard of a biohazard in a laptop? Any fun story about your life with a laptop?? Please leave your thoughts below.
Thanks for stopping in today!!
Click here to visit more participants in the IWSG Blog Hop!!
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| Author J.Q. Rose and Handyman Ted |
Connect online with JQ Rose:
16 comments:
That's a different kind of computer bug! Maybe powering it on was a hazard? Or there's something inside the screen that isn't safe to touch and there was a worry there? Or perhaps a lazy tech who just didn't want to do a job?
“Let’s strive to be better in September!” – Charmaine J. Forde #quote
I have a novelette coming out on the ninth. And a post about condiments planned on the A to Z site this month. Hope you're well!
J Lenni Dorner (he/him 👨🏽 or 🧑🏽 they/them) ~ Speculative Fiction & Reference Author and Co-host of the April Blogging #AtoZChallenge
Yikes on your computer. I hope you enjoy your new one.
Biohazard might also mean some element from the computer being exposed, but I have heard about bugs in computers. Ask Michael Offutt about it - I believe he's the one that said he opened someone's computer and it was full of cockroaches.
Sorry your laptop fell apart. At least it wasn't due to bugs!
Biohazard? Never! That's insane. I wish I could take a picture of my old laptop for you. I just transtitioned to a new machine this month too...and it's painful, right? But anyhow, I have a giant clip holding the sides of the frame together because the hynge at the corner of the screen and body of the machine broke. LOL! It's working for now -- enough to be the kids school computer.
You should have messaged me before shipping your computer off to CA. Everything is in danger of being labeled a biohazard in this state.
Sometimes even its citizens! :-)
I dunno what it was. Could be anything. Anyway it's done. Loving my new one! Thanks for stopping by.
Thanx Natalie. I am definitely happy with this new one. There are lights under the keys. Very cool.
Yes. My hinge was frozen too. Glad the clip saved you. Handle with care!
Yewww.
Lol
Oh noooo..
Oh. My. Goodness. Ya think the Dell Guys might have told you that rather than be so generic.
Yes. Biohazard covers a lot of stuff. I would like to have had a written report. But too much hassle. Thanks for stopping by.
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That is really weird about the biohazard thing. Haven't a clue what they were talking about, maybe they don't either....
Love the pic of you and Ted.
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