The author Frank Herbert coined the phrase many years ago, "techno-peasant". This was a comparison of medieval peasants that knew nothing of agricultural science (but did realize if they planted seeds in the spring they would grow into foodstuffs) and the way society was assimilating computer usage and the digital age. Herbert saw a possible detriment in becoming dependent on something we generally know nothing about. And in that light it's probably good that he passed away in 1986. He has surely rolled over several times since then.
I personally don't see a danger in technological advances; it's part of our evolution. What I do see as a minor aggravation is a public sentiment that we all need the latest and greatest thingy or we will surely perish. Poppycock.
I have owned two cell phones and one mobile number in my lifetime. They have lasted me 18 or 19 years. The first was a Nokia Series 3300. I was so proud of myself because I was able to program my ring tone with the Iron Butterfly's "In-agadda-da-vida". I wore the paint off the surface of that thing and was no longer able to easily obtain batteries for it. Six years ago it slipped out of my pocket while I was on a ladder and shattered on the pavement below. Since then I have been using a Samsung flip-phone, and I still don't text.
A good way to describe my feelings about cell phone stores is "I would rather repeatedly stick a carpet needle in my eye than allow my shadow to darken their door." Having a snot-nosed kid (that is barely older than the truck I drive) tell me what I need and don't need is an affront to our social structure. So you can imagine the stress that I brought upon myself when I was drying a load of work clothes and heard something loud banging in the dryer. At my age my tinnitus sounds like a windy day in Port Aransas, complete with barge horns. So whatever was in the dryer must have been big for me to hear it.
It was my cell phone. It had avoided pre-wash inspection in the inside vest pocket of my hoodie and made it through a double rinse and spin cycle. And now it was probably 140 degrees and lifeless. Chit. I may be forced to visit the Goodwill and see if I can snag an older similar model. If I die without ever walking into a cell phone store that will be alright with me.
I am married to a perfectly grounded and level headed woman thank God. As I was stomping around in a belligerent tirade she reminded me of something she had read on Facebook; put the phone in a jar of rice for a couple of days. Of course our male union card states we must first resist a spouse's suggestions, and I did. The phone would not power up. I foolishly put in on a charger for a couple of hours and it remained lifeless. That afternoon there was a quart Kerr jar on the counter full of rice. "OK, you win..."
After three days I dug the phone out of the rice. I put in on its charger back here in my 'den of iniquity' and crossed my fingers. A few hours later I checked it and low and behold...it powered up! I immediately called the land line number with my cell and picked up to hear all the wonderful feedback. My phone was alive! The only thing I could tell was the screen appeared to have a rainbow infused oil slick upon its face, but it worked! The oil slick actually disappeared after a few days. I had been saved from entering a cell phone store for another bit of time.
Here's the cherry on top. Over the last year or so this flip phone's battery has been showing its age. When new I could go a week or longer without charging. Lately I had been reduced to daily charging...and it always ran out sitting on my dresser on the weekends. But damned if running this thing through a wash cycle didn't cure that! A full charge now lasts about 4 or 5 days. Definitely a marked improvement.
When the battery once again begins its downhill slide I'm going to run it through another couple of wash cycles. 😉
Those packets of do not eat silica gel also work great to dry out a phone or anything really.
paden cash, post: 409595, member: 20 wrote: At my age my tinnitus sounds like a windy day in Port Aransas, complete with barge horns.
That is a perfect description.
I told my daughter who sings in front of a group of baby boomers, hearing loss is LOUD. I went outside because it can take two weeks for the tinnitus to calm back down to a quiet roar after I aggravate it. One of the boomers in the band gave me a set of disposable ear plugs at the break. He has fancy ones that he can adjust how much he hears and pitch, tone, etc. as I understand it.
paden cash, post: 409595, member: 20 wrote: Of course our male union card states we must first resist a spouse's suggestions
Preferably with a very condescending tone. Great story Paden.
I must inquire of yourself and Dave. What the heck is the barge horn part of tinnitus I have to look forward too? What I have going on now is plenty thank you.
Steve
I blew the mind of a cell phone salesman a couple years ago. I was describing the crank telephone that hung on the wall of our old house until about 1960. The wooden box with two big dry cell batteries inside. Party lines. Two longs and two shorts. That sort of thing.
He would have been more prone to believe me if I had pointed out the front window and claimed to be watching a T. Rex eating the seats out of his car.
Dave Karoly, post: 409603, member: 94 wrote: One of the boomers in the band gave me a set of disposable ear plugs at the break. He has fancy ones that he can adjust how much he hears and pitch, tone, etc. as I understand it.
Listening to a streaming course driving home yesterday I learned that that because of the high pitch, almost all professional piccolo players practice and perform wearing earplugs.
Dave Karoly, post: 409603, member: 94 wrote: ear plugs at the break. He has fancy ones
You can get "Musicians' ear plugs" for about $15 that cut the loudness down to a manageable level while maintaining a lot better clarity than the "Safety" foam plugs. The most common brands are Etymotic and Hear-O's.
If you are frequently in that situation, you might benefit from them. Talk your daughter into wearing them, too. She will thank you a couple decades from now when she can hear better than her band mates.
sjc1989, post: 409605, member: 6718 wrote: Preferably with a very condescending tone. Great story Paden.
I must inquire of yourself and Dave. What the heck is the barge horn part of tinnitus I have to look forward too? What I have going on now is plenty thank you.Steve
Tinnitus apparently has several different manifestations. Some hear a steady "rushing" I've heard described as a river or the wind. I have a constant background noise in my ears that is similar to that. But if it were only that simple. Background noise amplifies the roaring to an aggravating level. And I also have been blessed with intermittent tonal blares. Most are high-pitched whines like an air-raid siren, some sound like a truck horn blaring. They can last a few seconds to a good long while.
My wife says things like "I can't believe you didn't hear me." I try to tell her I probably could if it wasn't so noisy in my head. Karoly is correct; hearing loss is LOUD!
Holy Cow, post: 409607, member: 50 wrote: I blew the mind of a cell phone salesman a couple years ago. I was describing the crank telephone that hung on the wall of our old house until about 1960. The wooden box with two big dry cell batteries inside. Party lines. Two longs and two shorts. That sort of thing.
He would have been more prone to believe me if I had pointed out the front window and claimed to be watching a T. Rex eating the seats out of his car.
I was blessed with being raised around a generation of folks that only knew of things like phones, autos, tv and flush toilets as something that came about in their later years. My mother and aunt insisted their aging parents (my grandparents) get a phone in their house as they aged. This was around 1960 or so. My granddad hated it and getting him to talk on it (let alone answer it) was impossible. When I was younger I just assumed he was being 'contrary' (A family trait). Now I understand he just saw no need for it in his day-to-day life. We should all be blessed with the ability to make this decision about our affairs.
I have a rural developer client that constantly attempts to send me text messages. I don't read or answer them. He finally called this morning to see "if everything was OK since he hadn't heard from me". I had to explain (for the jillionth time) I don't text. Call me or email me please.
paden cash, post: 409614, member: 20 wrote: Tinnitus apparently has several different manifestations. Some hear a steady "rushing" I've heard described as a river or the wind. I have a constant background noise in my ears that is similar to that. But if it were only that simple. Background noise amplifies the roaring to an aggravating level. And I also have been blessed with intermittent tonal blares. Most are high-pitched whines like an air-raid siren, some sound like a truck horn blaring. They can last a few seconds to a good long while.
My wife says things like "I can't believe you didn't hear me." I try to tell her I probably could if it wasn't so noisy in my head. Karoly is correct; hearing loss is LOUD!
I don't do well in noisy environments, I can hear people talking but I don't have a clue what they are saying. I'm already not a people person and this aggravates that condition ;-).
My wife says I have a problem and I need to see an audiologist, I suppose that is true but I'm resisting. I have nothing against hearing aids, it just seems like another aggravation I don't want. She has had a 50% hearing loss since birth; she has an annoying habit of nodding yes with a smile and I think okay we have an agreement then tomorrow when I go to implement the agreement she gets angry, what are you doing? I was talking to my daughter one day and related this and she said YES Mom does that all the time!
So texting has been great for that, and FB messenger. But I hate talking on the phone for some weird reason.
paden cash, post: 409617, member: 20 wrote: I don't text
Reading text messages is pretty painless, if the sender didn't over-abbreviate. You should probably make that concession.
Sending text messages is a royal pain if you have a flip phone, and I fully understand your reluctance there. It should never be necessary to send a text message because there are better methods, like voice calls and email. The sad truth is that some people no longer read email because it is "old fashioned". I like email much better than text for most purposes, because you have the full keyboard, can attach files/photos, and have a record of the conversation to file.
I am not a huge follower of technology, but I must admit I do enjoy some parts of it. I personally despise making telephone calls, and I don't really like receiving calls much, so for me, text is a great form of communication. Sort of a portable telegraph. I can read the message when it is convenient for me, same with PM or IM, and respond when I am ready. I do enjoy having the weather radar at my fingers, if I have cell service. I also find I take more pictures, since I have a camera handy. Well, now I wonder why I pay so much for the silly thing....
I think a smartphone is worth it just for the Google Maps, you get traffic updates, arrive time, etc... I do not need a phone to keep me entertained while I am waiting for something, like a table at restaurant or a client, but it is nice to check or answer an email, or browse the net. With a smartphone you can view word documents, pdfs, spreadsheets, being able to use my smartphone to download a point file to the data collector has saved me a trip back to the office a few times. Also being able to use it to take photos for elevation cert is nice.
One should learn how to text.
It's not hard and in case of an emergency, it can be a life saver either yours or someone else's life.
Texts will transmit if a cell call isn't possible due to technical difficulties with the towers.
Robert Hill, post: 409644, member: 378 wrote: One should learn how to text.
It's not hard and in case of an emergency, it can be a life saver either yours or someone else's life.
Texts will transmit if a cell call isn't possible due to technical difficulties with the towers.
I do know how to text. And without "texting" figured into my monthly fee they still only cost a dime apiece. But two things: I have fat fingers and I can't read the screen. I'm sure there's a lot of good reasons to jump on the band wagon, I just don't feel the need. My wife receives text messages that say "Tell the old fart to call me". And I do.
Robert you have unconditional permission to say "I told you so" If I perish in a cataclysm because I couldn't make a call but may have been saved by a text. I accept the fact it would have been my own damned fault.
I just read a story where a Tesla drove 6 miles from home to check out the snow with his wife and dogs. Apparently you can start a Tesla with your cell phone even if you do not have the keys with you, well this guy forgot his keys, made a stop to adjust the dog's bed, which is sometime I would not have stopped for, or even brought a bed for the dogs, maybe a blanket to keep my seats clean. Well when you get out of the car you have to restart it. Just one problem he had no cell service and they can did not either, and since he didnt bring the keys with him, no way to start the car. So he had his wife run two miles to call someone to come get her, so she could go home and get the keys.
http://www.recode.net/2017/1/15/14278516/tesla-stranded-cell-reception-red-rock-canyon
Scott Ellis, post: 409653, member: 7154 wrote: I just read a story where a Tesla drove 6 miles from home to check out the snow with his wife and dogs. Apparently you can start a Tesla with your cell phone even if you do not have the keys with you, well this guy forgot his keys, made a stop to adjust the dog's bed, which is sometime I would not have stopped for, or even brought a bed for the dogs, maybe a blanket to keep my seats clean. Well when you get out of the car you have to restart it. Just one problem he had no cell service and they can did not either, and since he didnt bring the keys with him, no way to start the car. So he had his wife run two miles to call someone to come get her, so she could go home and get the keys.
http://www.recode.net/2017/1/15/14278516/tesla-stranded-cell-reception-red-rock-canyon
I just heard Frank Herbert's coffin rattle a bit...
paden cash, post: 409595, member: 20 wrote: As I was stomping around in a belligerent tirade
UmmÛ?.You mean an adult temper tantrum?
Do yourself a favor and buy yourself a rooted Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ off of EBay or wherever. The public ÛÏnewnessÛ affliction has faded but the thing is a great techno machine. And itÛªs cheap too.
Well if you arenÛªt interested in a smartphone, perhaps a ÛÏJitterbugÛ or something similar may be apropos. 😉
paden cash, post: 409647, member: 20 wrote: I do know how to text. And without "texting" figured into my monthly fee they still only cost a dime apiece. But two things: I have fat fingers and I can't read the screen. I'm sure there's a lot of good reasons to jump on the band wagon, I just don't feel the need. My wife receives text messages that say "Tell the old fart to call me". And I do.
Robert you have unconditional permission to say "I told you so" If I perish in a cataclysm because I couldn't make a call but may have been saved by a text. I accept the fact it would have been my own damned fault.
I'm on a laptop today answering correspondence.
But all my posts here are always on the smart phone including this one.
Easy to type and read.
You should try one, you'll like
it. One of my soccer colleagues who is a little older than me was a flip phone guy with attitude until last year. He got a nice smart phone last year and it changed his life and attitude.
Y'all remind me that old guys with their pseudo self serving independent individualist crapola are basically selfish crusty coots that need attitude adjustment.
Robert Hill, post: 409657, member: 378 wrote: I'm on a laptop today answering correspondence.
But all my posts here are always on the smart phone including this one.
Easy to type and read.
You should try one, you'll like
it. One of my soccer colleagues who is a little older than me was a flip phone guy with attitude until last year. He got a nice smart phone last year and it changed his life and attitude.Y'all remind me that old guys with their pseudo self serving independent individualist crapola are basically selfish crusty coots that need attitude adjustment.
I appreciate the kind words. 😉 But everybody I know treats texts like crack cocaine, they never stop. Although communication is essential in today's world, it can get extreme. When useless banter burns up my "old guys with pseudo self serving independent individualist crapola" time, I get disinterested.
Now if you'll excuse me the school bus is fixing to unload a couple of neighborhood kids that probably need reminded to stay off my lawn...
