Large Scale Central

Got a Kindle for my Birthday

General Discussion
#21
John Bouck said:
Yes, HJ, I know what an audio book is. In fact when I travel alone, I put a few in the truck. My point is that electronics of any kind are now ruling our lives. My contractor carries a freaking phone stuck in his ear, and another pocket computer for notes, dates, etc. My cell phone stays off unless I want to make a call on it. I'm just too freakin old to keep up with all you young 'uns. :) :)
JB,

I know the feeling. :slight_smile: :lol:

I have a cell phone like yours, it’s almost exclusively OneWay. In the new vehicle I have OnStar, same routine: OneWay except for SWMBO and I don’t use the Navigator or some other GPS. The Navigator was at least 200m off on the very first trip from the dealer’s to home.

I refuse to be ruled by all this crap, but I make use of some of it when it is convenient for me.

PS I don’t run when the phone rings either. :wink: :slight_smile:

PPS And I really like my ZIMO DCC system. :lol:

#22

Still don’t have a cell phone. Managed to make it to fifty years without one, can’t see the need for one now. The kindle, on the other hand–or that ZIMO DCC system…

#23
mike omalley said:
Still don't have a cell phone. Managed to make it to fifty years without one, can't see the need for one now. The kindle, on the other hand--or that ZIMO DCC system....
Mike, 1959 was obviously an excellent year. I will be 50 this month. I had to renew my driver's license and passed the eye test. Still don't need glasses or contacts.

I’m like John. I have a cell phone, but use it very little. My wife and I share 400 minutes between
two phones. We have around 2000 rollover minutes built up.

I’m out in the yard under some shade trees. Technology is great.
Ralph

#24
Steve Featherkile said:
GPS is a wonderful thing, as long as everything works right.

I was involved in the search, so I know this story is true. A guy got lost in the mountains east of Sandy Eggo. he called 911 on his cell phone to report himself missing. He was wearing the “California Death Suit,” jeans, T-shirt and sneakers, and had no “Essential 10” items with him. He did have a GPS with him, but could not get out of his predicament. He gave the coordinates to the 911 operator, but when we got to those coordinates, he wasn’t there. Then it started to rain…

He was called by the 911 folks, he said he hadn’t moved, and that he was getting really cold and wet. Duh!

When we finally found him, he was shivering, barely coherent. He hadn’t calibrated his GPS, so the coordinates he gave us were miles off.

Some people should not be allowed to operate a toaster.

When I go into the bush, I always use a map and compass. As my Navy CO once said, “The stars don’t lie.”


I spent 10 years in the Guard and Reserves as a navy vet. Never had to do any land navigating as a deck ape in the navy. In the part time army I was in tanks and then combat engineers. Let me just say that my land navigation skills with a map and compass were pretty poor. One time in 1979 at Fort Irwin on our two week annual training stint I had the company maintenance section APC (armored personnel carrier M113) and we were tasked to lead a broken tank back to the battallion maintenance section at night. None of us were given maps anyway or compassess. The instructions we were given was that they would be firing flares (color unknown) from battallion and just follow the flares. No one thought of the fact that we were not the only unit in the desert. We spent most of the night following flares that were fired by other units out there and we were getting no where. Came daylight and we just ran along side the road back to main camp and found battallion maintenance all by ourselfs with no help.

#25
mike omalley said:
Still don't have a cell phone. Managed to make it to fifty years without one, can't see the need for one now. The kindle, on the other hand--or that ZIMO DCC system....
I'll say this about having a cell phone. Mine saved my butt many times when my old GMC pickup truck used to most often like to break down when I was in the middle of nowheres on deserted roads.
#26

I was anti-cell phone for a long time. I was selling them when they were the size of a motorcycle battery. Finally got one from a software company I worked for when I started working from home. Was real nice to be out on the boat and able to take work calls! When I came to this jjob I convinced them to pay for mine. I leave it on 24-7 as part of the deal, but I can’t hear it when I’m in the bedroom.

And yes, it has saved my butt numerous times, most recently a year ago 10 at night, car dead on the interstate with a blown water pump, camper on the back. The tow truck was called 1/2 hour before the first cop showed up.

#27

Presumably your butts would have been saved ten years ago, before cell phones?

I agree, they are useful, no doubt about it. I just marvel at how many people seem to need to walk along yammering to someone else. Whatever happened to being alone with your thoughts?

#28
mike omalley said:
Presumably your butts would have been saved ten years ago, before cell phones?

I agree, they are useful, no doubt about it. I just marvel at how many people seem to need to walk along yammering to someone else. Whatever happened to being alone with your thoughts?


What really pisses me off is going into a store and the cashier is yacking on the phone.
I don’t care if I have a full buggy of groceries, I’ll leave and shop elsewhere.
Ralph

#29
mike omalley said:
Presumably your butts would have been saved ten years ago, before cell phones?

I agree, they are useful, no doubt about it. I just marvel at how many people seem to need to walk along yammering to someone else. Whatever happened to being alone with your thoughts?


Mike,

On those thoughts … hmmmm … that’s a problem, especially if one has only one thought.
You’ll know what I mean if you listen a bit closer to that yammering that’s going on. Yeah, I know we shouldn’t pry on those people, even if it’s hard to avoid since they’re so “vocal”. :wink:

#30
mike omalley said:
Presumably your butts would have been saved ten years ago, before cell phones?

I agree, they are useful, no doubt about it. I just marvel at how many people seem to need to walk along yammering to someone else. Whatever happened to being alone with your thoughts?


My butt would have been saved eventually but my feet would have paid for the offset :slight_smile:

#31
Ralph Berg said:
mike omalley said:
Presumably your butts would have been saved ten years ago, before cell phones?

I agree, they are useful, no doubt about it. I just marvel at how many people seem to need to walk along yammering to someone else. Whatever happened to being alone with your thoughts?


What really pisses me off is going into a store and the cashier is yacking on the phone.
I don’t care if I have a full buggy of groceries, I’ll leave and shop elsewhere.
Ralph

Aha–another shopper from hell :slight_smile:
I’ve gotten so pissed of that what I normally do is kick start my cart down the aisle behind the cashiers and walk out cussing.

#32

Sheesh you guys! :lol: :smiley: :lol:
What I usually do is ask very nicely: “Could I interest you in doing some work?”. Works every time, even in those cases when two or three are standing together yacking. One could also ask: “Tell me, where do I apply for a job like that?” :wink: :slight_smile: