Barnyard Management

Barnyard Management Zooming Along!

Welcome to writing at the University of Alabama the crazy times and due to the pandemic, I have we now live in. been doing it mostly remotely. Between 2020 Suddenly, a picture of my gigantic to at least 2021 face stares back at me from my we have lived laptop. I see the thinning of my in an upside- hair, the bleariness of my eyes, the Ken Farmer down world sagging of my jaw. If the screen is of a pandemic, not properly positioned, all that sickness, death and a world of is visible is the lower half of my challenges we never expected. For noggin, and if I adjust it too abruptly, me, my biggest challenge has been I cut off my chin, which makes me trying to communicate with people look kind of like a huge, pale PEZ in my world. Before last year, I dispenser.” thought I was being modern and in Believe me, I can relate to this! In touch via Skype and Facetime off my my head I am still a much younger Apple devices. I could easily enjoy person who still looks like I did 10 a quick and private call with family years ago. No gray hair, no wrinkles and grandkids! It was a nice way to and no beard! I guess I am wrong. to clean up before Zoom sessions improve slightly! talk and catch up and was easy for a Reality stinks sometimes! — or leave the camera off — how The new tricks of the trade are non-geek like me! So now we are in this new world to add backgrounds that cover up how we all now survive! Keep on

However, 2019 changed all of that is not going away anytime many of my weaknesses and even Zooming! that. In my agency we went to using soon per Dr. Fauci! I have learned how to adjust the lights so my looks Stay Safe! MS Teams for our internal calls for security reasons and on Zoom for all the calls to non-Feds. As we deal with state and local government for a large part of our work, Zoom is the new software of choice.

As for me, the word Zoom had a few meanings that I was comfortable with. They included: 1) As a VERB: such as to move or travel very quickly. 2) As a VERB: such as with a camera change smoothly from a long shot to a close-up or vice versa. 3) As a NOUN: such as a camera shot that changes smoothly from a long shot to a close-up or vice versa.

The software Zoom — as is copied from their website — “is the leader in modern enterprise video communications, with an easy, reliable cloud platform for video and audio conferencing, chat, and webinars across mobile, desktop, and room systems. Zoom Rooms is the original softwarebased conference room solution used around the world in board, conference, huddle and training rooms, as well as executive offices and classrooms.”

So now we have now added the term to our new pandemic world! We are now able to share our happy faces in this little box that seems to show all my deep wrinkles, grey hair and not-so-recently shaved face with the world. Working at home has some advantages as the coffee machine and bathroom are close. However, waking up and shaving no longer go together for me! Yes, I get to work on time as it takes five minutes to walk to the office but few times do I turn on the camera!

One of my favorite authors is Rick Bragg. I have mentioned him in several past articles reciting his views on coleslaw and life in the South.

In the March 2021 issue of Southern Living he says, “I teach