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Re: Ah, the good old days... (Reply to this comment)
by kedsand1
Wrdnik,
Thank you for your thoughts.
First of all, there's nothing wrong with only five channels. You just hang in there, old timer!
Second, I loathe Blu-Ray and HD-DVD. I don't see what's wrong with DVDs. However, HDTV is awesome -- that's undeniable. My parents bought one and I love the clarity with sports and movies.
Third, I must agree that games are a bit complicated. When I play FIFA 06, I use 10 buttons, two analog sticks, and a D-pad. I'm used to it now, but it must be a nightmare for the beginner, though some of the button serve only specific functions (e.g. through pass versus pass). Here's a shout-out, though, for Golden Axe and Street Fighter 2! I say, bring back Rampage and Tron!
Anyway, from the time of this article until now, I have actually bought a real cell phone with real cell phone service. It's a nice convenience, though the Family Plan is a money drain.
Let's bring back the old ways, my fellow geezer!
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Jan 06 '09
2:25 pm PST
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Ah, the good old days... (Reply to this comment)
by wrdnik3
Looks like we’re in the same boat. Man, you really know how to make me feel old, and I’m only partway through my third decade. At this rate, by the time I hit my thirties I’ll be a curmudgeonly old guy who yells at those darn kids to stay off his grass. Actually, I’d totally do that now, but I don’t really have any grass…
Some quick thoughts:
I’m stuck with five television channels. You can’t imagine the horror.
Yep, Blue-Ray and HD-DVD really annoy me. I’ve just managed to amass a fairly respectable DVD collection, and now they’re telling me it’s so last season.
I don’t know if games are too realistic, but they’re definitely way too complicated. My Xbox-owning little cuz annihilates me at just about everything, with no effort whatsoever, while I’m still busy trying to figure out what the little buttons on the sides of my control pad do. And when I play Halo 3, I die so quick you can hardly tell I was even there. Give me PacMan any day. Or GoldenAxe, or Street Fighter 2, dagnabbit.
I really am getting old...
Awesome essay, old timer! ☺
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Dec 04 '08
3:09 am PST
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Re: I went to college before pocket calculators... (Reply to this comment)
by kedsand1
Vicfar,
Thanks for stopping by. I wouldn't go back to vinyl, though I do own all five of The Police's albums on vinyl. Someday, I'll frame them and put them up in our future game room.
Twenty years ago, the world was a simpler place. Transformers, Robotech, and G.I. Joe dominated the cartoon landscape; the Nintendo 8-bit system came into being; and, there were very few cell phones and no Internet (but there was the ARPA-net). The world seemed like a quieter place where you got your information from encyclopedias, not Encarta. I miss encyclopedias.
Anyway, in many ways, I yearn for those days. But, admittedly, I like mp3s, I do like the Internet for the information I can acquire and the ability to communicate, and I like laptop computers. Cell phones, though, can just go away, in my opinions.
Enough rambling! Thanks again!
KEDSand1
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Aug 22 '08
7:48 am PDT
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Re: Gaming (Reply to this comment)
by kedsand1
Lindeisha,
Thanks for your comment.
I have nothing against kick the can, that's for sure. The wonderful thing about my house is that the TV does not go on while the kids are awake. They play outside or they play with their toys.
I do watch TV to get some Olympic action, but we don't have much reason to watch TV.
I do love FIFA 06, a soccer computer game, though. Besides that, I can live without computer games.
KEDSand1
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Aug 22 '08
7:43 am PDT
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I went to college before pocket calculators... (Reply to this comment)
by vicfar
so imagine what I think. I could do without pretty much everything you mentioned (but I don't, my employer won't let me). The sinister thing about all this technology is that we don't get to choose it - they basically make it impossible for you to live without it. Here are some things that are shoved down my throat w/o possibility of choice:
- Internet banking (there is no alternative in Europe). You cannot play the game "the check is in the mail").
- Internet booking of flights and hotels (in some cases, the only way accepted).
- Electronic lab notebooks. You can no longer be creative with experiments.
- Company cell phones (mandatory), so they can monitor where you are.
- GPS systems come with company cars and have replaced typed directions. I still get lost.
- Email: we are supposed to answer within 24h.
Alas, life was so much more pleasant 20 years ago...I would even give up CDs for vinyls!
Cheers
Vic
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Aug 20 '08
3:25 pm PDT
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Gaming (Reply to this comment)
by lindeisha
Good, thought-provoking essay. I like computer games as much as the next guy/gal, but am disturbed with how much kids play these days. My students, who live in a very poor neighborhood, brag about how much they love the latest Playstation/Xbox games. That, plus the fact that childhood obesity is rising quickly makes me worry. Am I an old geezerette by thinking it would be more beneficial for them to go outside and play "kick the can" instead?
Lindeisha
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Aug 16 '08
8:27 pm PDT
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Tech (Reply to this comment)
by toiletoctopus
Keds,
I'm right behind you at 31, and indeed I love the old Nintendo games. To be honest, I had to break down a buy a Famicon, since my old Nintendo finally had enough, but its great getting to play Mike Tyson and Zelda all day again.
There's a list on the internet somewhere, that describes the stuff we all used to do as kids, that children are not doing anymore. I'm not sure if you've seen it, but it makes me laugh. It talks about how we used to ride bikes without helmets, ride in the back of pickup trucks unrestrained(sorry I'm from Virginia, this could be an around here thing), and other assorted amusing activities. Its good for a laugh, which is what is needed sometimes.
Nice review that made me laugh! Its good to know other cavemen exist,
Mike
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Aug 15 '08
12:36 pm PDT
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Ladyconsumer and gaelkm... (Reply to this comment)
by kedsand1
Hello!
Thank you so much for your comments. It's good to see that there are other geezers (and geezerettes) out there. Personally, as I have gotten older, I have grown to view technological advancement with skepticism and a degree of vigilant distance. Granted, I grew up in 80s and 90s technology, but there were things I didn't embrace from those times, like pagers, call waiting, and Betamax. :)
Thanks again for stopping by.
KEDSand1
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Aug 15 '08
7:29 am PDT
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I guess I'm.... (Reply to this comment)
by gaelkm
.....a bit of a geezerette too. I agree and enjoyed your essay too. I am sort of amazed by IPods also. I love music, but I don't need to hear it 24-7 like I see students doing. Sometimes I actually enjoy silence!
You made a lot of good points.
~gael
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Aug 14 '08
8:31 pm PDT
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Enjoyable read (Reply to this comment)
by ladyconsumer
Hello,
I enjoyed reading this essay. As you might expect, I agree with some of your feelings, disagree with others.
I love having a cell phone, for emergencies ("My car broke down!!"), or even those semi-emergencies ("Honey, I'm in the driveway, can you come out and help with the groceries"). But I agree that some people are "too connected" whereby you can't have a simple conversation without them receiving 17 calls/texts and pretending to pay you full attention when they're really glancing down at their phones.
I recently hired someone, and in doing so, interviewed a bunch of people. More than one had their cell phones turned on, and received calls during the interview!! And I don't mean that they told me upon arriving that their wife is in labor, so they really need to keep their phones on. I would have understood that. I mean all of a sudden, in the middle of our talking, their phones ring. And they try to pretend they're not looking to see who it is, but they are. (Needless to say I didn't hire any of those people).
Fun essay.
Mona
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Aug 13 '08
1:56 pm PDT
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