You gotta Laugh

[MartinCrabtree]

Party lines were still around when I was a kid. Living in a rural area on a rainy day listening to gossip via party line would pass the time quickly.

 

[Alan Klein]

Right, just ditch the thing. 10 days ago I decided that technology and other useless things had to go. They've been screwing up my life and using up my time. Diverting me from what I really want to do. So gone are the cell phone, news (online, and the reading of all printed newspapers), wristwatch, fast food restaurants, the TV is off except for the occasional music video, etc. The internet is now only for this forum, selling the last of my gear on fleabay and here, and for research, not articles and such. Deleted my accounts in the three other online forums that I was a member of too.

You would not believe what a difference it has made. I have so much more energy, my thoughts are clearer, things are getting done. Should have done this ages ago. We only have X amount of energy and time each day of our lives. Time spent at one thing takes time and energy from some place else.

That's great. I'm proud of you. I need a 12th Step program for cellphone and forums, TV, internet. They're addicting. The wasted time, but then again I've always been a procrastinator. I've been siting on film I have to scan, work around the house, etc. Help!!!!

 

[Alan Klein]

I recall growing up (a loooong time ago even before area codes) our dial phone had a number with a letter after the last number. The letter identified the "party line" (shared with another residence in the neighborhood). You'd pick up the phone to make a call and there'd be a neighbor talking on the phone, sometimes seemingly endless chatter about nothing (e.g., someone's teenage daughter). This also was a time long before the advent of 911. I think I've just dated myself.

And don't forget that there was a named prefix, not just 7 numbers. Like KIngbridge 5-1234 (KI5-1234) or DAvenport 7-7890 (DA7-7890). Starting off with a name and then 5 numbers made it much easier to remember people's phone numbers. When area codes came out, Ma Bell (AT &T) assigned codes like 212 to NYC because it had the most phone and because dialing 212 is much faster in the days before touch-tone when you had to move a dial around. When exchanges had to be added when they ran out of 212 numbers, New Yorkers would fight to keep the 212 prefix even with touch tone because it had a bragging right about it like having an office in the Empire State Building.

 

[RobC]

you were lucky....



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAdlkunflRs

 

[Theo Sulphate]

I need to have my phone with me always, mostly in case of emergencies. It also lets me monitor the breeder reactor in my garage.

But mostly I use it to interact with APUG no matter where I am.

 

[nsouto]

And how we hated when we made a friend and they had a lot of 9' or 0's in their number! Dialing those numbers took forever!!

What was it with emergency numbers all being 000?
The number it took longer to dial on a rotary and that's what they used for emergencies?

 

[MartinCrabtree]

I need to have my phone with me always, mostly in case of emergencies. It also lets me monitor the breeder reactor in my garage.

But mostly I use it to interact with APUG no matter where I am.

You must have an awesome garage.

 

[Steve Smith]

What was it with emergency numbers all being 000?

999 here.


Steve.

 

[rrusso]

My cell is nearly always on silent, except for the rare occasion when I'm expecting a call. I give it a glance once every hour or two.

A friend, who is basically a slave to technology, is always trying to give me grief about not answering his calls or replying to his texts right away. "Dude, don't you ever answer your phone?". LOL

What ticks me off is when you're trying to have a conversation with someone - you know, the kind where you're actually standing face to face - and they're constantly pulling the phone out. Then they'll interrupt you so they can either answer a call or reply to a text.

Really? Doesn't get more rude than that, imo.

Having said that, I do love my phone, because I use it mainly for podcasts, which is pretty much all I can stand to listen to anymore. Regular radio sucks nowadays.

 

[Sirius Glass]

If I am talking to someone face to face and the phone rings I let it go to message. If someone has taken the time to see me, I will not be rude and answer the telephone.

 

[MartinCrabtree]

Seriously considering dumping the cell. But that leaves me with no phone at all. Haven't had a landline in 10 years. Haven't missed that. Perhaps I should move to the desert and become a desert rat. Don't think I could stand the heat.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Since I only use a cell phone as a cell phone, I do not and will not be texting nor emailing while I am driving. There is nothing in the world that is so important that it must be emailed or texted before pulling over and parking the car. Smart phone users need to get over themselves.