What’s on your mind?

[Clix Pix]

I much prefer to be aware of my surroundings and environment, and also actually able to appreciate it, especially in nice weather and when things are blooming and green, looking pretty. If I'm running errands I pay attention to what I'm doing, too, and am also mindful of keeping track of whatever I'm carrying (books or packages as a result of shopping, in addition to my cross-body bag with my wallet and keys in it).

I'm definitely old-fashioned in that I basically just use my phone for, well, phone calls and texts (I do find the latter especially convenient when expecting a repairman or HVAC technician to receive a text in advance of the anticipated arrival). I rarely use my iPhone for browsing the web or participating in forums and I'm not keen on social media such as FB or Instagram, whatever.

 

[Keukasmallie]

Just jumped in, so no conversation understandings nor offerings in response to the "above" at this point.

Well guys, (I use the term to include men and women; if'n ya'll don't fit that narrow category, you're on your own.) I'm at the 8.5 decade point in life. Done a lot, USNavy, Superintendent of Schools, etc. yeah, a long journey. My advice: Don't race to the end, enjoy, improve your surroundings right now.

 

[rm5]

In recent days, I have been very struck by the large number of youngsters (teens, mostly) I have seen walking (weaving) around (on nice, sunny, summer days, - or, at least dry days - in cities, or other places where there is plenty to do), with their nose almost glued to a mobile phone (cell phone, smart phone), completely, utterly and totally oblivious to their surroundings.

Now, I get (well, sort of, 'get', as in understand) the addictive and compulsive nature of mobile phones, but surely, it is possible to consult the devices - if you must - when you sit down, or, refrain from consulting the devices until you sit down - ring-fence time to check them - or, simply stand still, and stare at them, if you really must pay attention to the wretched things.

At least in large part, I'd blame the parents. I didn't have a cell phone until I was 16. Before that point, I just had a computer, which stayed home (I did not bring it to school). At school, if there was some urgent matter to be dealt with, the front office would send someone to the classroom, pull me out, and take me to the office where I could call my parents. There was no question of convenience or anything, that's just what I did. Other than that, I could expect a parent to pick me up in the front of the school at 3:45 every afternoon. Again, there was no question, and certainly no reason to have a cell phone.

In fact, I went out with my folks last night. We went to dinner and did some shopping, and were out for probably three hours. I just left my phone on my desk at home - why would I need to bring it?

Also, when I was a kid, my parents did not have cell phones, either. Just a landline (that has since changed, this was about 10 years ago). Around that time, they rented out a small flip-phone for a month, and we drove, from my hometown in the Southwestern U.S., all the way to Quebec, Canada, using paper maps. And I learned to navigate on a road atlas so I could help them find their way as they drove.

 

[BotchQue]

I only carry my phone when I travel, and half the time then I forget it! Last time I went home to Sioux Falls I had to call my family to have them pick me up, shoot forgot my phone, no problem I'll just use a pay phone. Not a single pay phone anywhere in the airport, that surprised me. Finally found a lone bartender who used his phone to call for me.

EDIT: Oh, and I don't even have a browser on my phone; trying to keep myself weened from it (I am admittedly glued to my laptop too much).

 

[Apple fanboy]

At least in large part, I'd blame the parents. I didn't have a cell phone until I was 16. Before that point, I just had a computer, which stayed home (I did not bring it to school). At school, if there was some urgent matter to be dealt with, the front office would send someone to the classroom, pull me out, and take me to the office where I could call my parents. There was no question of convenience or anything, that's just what I did. Other than that, I could expect a parent to pick me up in the front of the school at 3:45 every afternoon. Again, there was no question, and certainly no reason to have a cell phone.

In fact, I went out with my folks last night. We went to dinner and did some shopping, and were out for probably three hours. I just left my phone on my desk at home - why would I need to bring it?

Also, when I was a kid, my parents did not have cell phones, either. Just a landline (that has since changed, this was about 10 years ago). Around that time, they rented out a small flip-phone for a month, and we drove, from my hometown in the Southwestern U.S., all the way to Quebec, Canada, using paper maps. And I learned to navigate on a road atlas so I could help them find their way as they drove.

Does make me chuckle. I never had a cell phone before 16 either. Because they hadn’t been invented!

As for map reading verses Sat Nav I’m very happy to leave that relic in the past. As I used to have to drive and navigate it’s a nightmare. Sat Nav also knows the latest traffic problems in a way that a map can not.

 

[Certificate of Excellence]

I agree that for most tasks, sat nav is great. I use it all the time - especially when traveling, the real time traffic intel is SO nice. There are places where that doesnt work though and in those spaces, nothing beats a map and a compass, so knowing how to use one is still a valuable skill. I wouldnt trade one for the other though - either direction. They are both very useful tools/skills which Im glad to have.

I didnt get a cell phone until maybe 26 and it was one of those pay as you go Tracphone flip phones of the early 2000s. So I grew up to adulthood and beyond with a land lineor quarter payphone only. For years and years, they were a waste of money in my eyes and an unnecessary tether that invaded my privacy (which they still are IMO) and truthfully did not invest in one with a monthly verizon billI until the job I had required it ... and this was 2008 during the great recession, so having any job at that time was better than the alternative. I've had one since; afer that initial samsung (IIRC) a succession of iphones lol 4s, 5, 6, 6+, 8+, and 14.

At this point, I use my iphone for all sorts of business, professional and personal use. It is fully integrated into my life and where I used to harbor a disdain for cellphones, I have grown to enjoy the portable connectivity that an Iphone brings and rely on the tools that they provide like their camera for example ... as long as your battery is charged and wifi is available of course

 

[DaveFromCampbelltown]

iPhone usages --

• I always used to carry a book with me, from large (Heinlein's Time enough for Love) to larger (Yoshikawa's Mushashi*). Now I have a range of books on my phone that I can read while waiting.
• Finding out where the nearest Target is, and if it is open.
• Wandering the towering canyons of Woolworths, I can quickly find what aisle the Mint Sauce is in and realise that I walked past it five aisles ago.
• We have a lovely app in Australia that tells me where the cheapest petrol is near me.
• Making and receiving phone calls.
• I don't use Social Media, except for MacRumors Forums, and that's only at home, on the desktop Mac.
• Very, very rarely, I will use one of the Map apps while walking, to find a particularly hard-to-find shop in the Sydney CBD. I will see where it tells me to go, and walk about 20 metres in that direction. Check again. If I am closer, good. If not, turn around and walk the other way.

*OMG, I just found out that my copy is worth US$250, I bought it for about $15.

 

[Apple fanboy]

I agree that for most tasks, sat nav is great. I use it all the time - especially when traveling, the real time traffic intel is SO nice. There are places where that doesnt work though and in those spaces, nothing beats a map and a compass, so knowing how to use one is still a valuable skill. I wouldnt trade one for the other though - either direction. They are both very useful tools/skills which Im glad to have.

I didnt get a cell phone until maybe 26 and it was one of those pay as you go Tracphone flip phones of the early 2000s. So I grew up to adulthood and beyond with a land lineor quarter payphone only. For years and years, they were a waste of money in my eyes and an unnecessary tether that invaded my privacy (which they still are IMO) and truthfully did not invest in one with a monthly verizon billI until the job I had required it ... and this was 2008 during the great recession, so having any job at that time was better than the alternative. I've had one since; afer that initial samsung (IIRC) a succession of iphones lol 4s, 5, 6, 6+, 8+, and 14.

At this point, I use my iphone for all sorts of business, professional and personal use. It is fully integrated into my life and where I used to harbor a disdain for cellphones, I have grown to enjoy the portable connectivity that an Iphone brings and rely on the tools that they provide like their camera for example ... as long as your battery is charged and wifi is available of course

We got our first phones when Mrs AFB was pregnant. I decided she needed to be able to reach me at anytime. But I only give my number to a very select number of people, so doesn’t really encroach on my privacy too much. I keep all notifications switched off.

With authentication apps etc required for many of my work applications, it would be impossible to not have one.

I bought Mrs AFB an iPhone last year, but she’s been without a mobile since they switched off whatever made her old dumb phone stop working. But as she is now travelling more often I wanted her to have a phone in case she breaks down etc (her car is 13 years old).

 

[Apple fanboy]

Had some strawberries from my garden earlier. Much more tasty than those you can pick up in the supermarket.

 

[VitoBotta]

I'm a bit stressed out about the upcoming massive migration from Google Cloud to Hetzner next weekend.

 

[Certificate of Excellence]

We got our first phones when Mrs AFB was pregnant. I decided she needed to be able to reach me at anytime. But I only give my number to a very select number of people, so doesn’t really encroach on my privacy too much. I keep all notifications switched off.

With authentication apps etc required for many of my work applications, it would be impossible to not have one.

I bought Mrs AFB an iPhone last year, but she’s been without a mobile since they switched off whatever made her old dumb phone stop working. But as she is now travelling more often I wanted her to have a phone in case she breaks down etc (her car is 13 years old).

Hey now, my car is 29 years old but I get you. I’ve always kept my wife in the reliable and under warranty newish car (for example her daily right now is a 22 Atlas Vdub - very nice family car btw). I putz around in my old truck which I can fix myself most of the time and is paid for which is a nice perk of old vehicles.

The invasion I speak to is the distraction a cell phone is in one’s life. Unlike disciplined people, I had a hard time not doom scrolling YT or facebarf feeds ie: social media. I quit that all sort of media about 8 years ago now when my first was born as I wanted to try and be as present and always in the moment as I could be. So I guess I’ve created some discipline in my life where there wasn’t so much Anyways, just decompressing via some random thoughts from a hectic day which I will have to return to for an hour or so this evening.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Hey now, my car is 29 years old but I get you. I’ve always kept my wife in the reliable and under warranty newish car (for example her daily right now is a 22 Atlas Vdub - very nice family car btw). I putz around in my old truck which I can fix myself most of the time and is paid for which is a nice perk of old vehicles.

The invasion I speak to is the distraction a cell phone is in one’s life. Unlike disciplined people, I had a hard time not doom scrolling YT or facebarf feeds ie: social media. I quit that all sort of media about 8 years ago now when my first was born as I wanted to try and be as present and always in the moment as I could be. So I guess I’ve created some discipline in my life where there wasn’t so much Anyways, just decompressing via some random thoughts from a hectic day which I will have to return to for an hour or so this evening.

I never joined social media, so I don’t have those issues. If I get a notification on my iPhone it’s probably 80% Mrs AFB, 15% my Dad and 5% everyone else. No apps get notifications switched on.

 

[rm5]

Why on earth would a professional event organizer ARGUE with me? Yes, he tried to argue with me over something that could have been easily prevented by him and his staff. Any logistics or common sense on the part of these event organizers was completely nonexistent - and he took it out on me of all people. I was just there to play one short set with this funk band (that part went great), but man, it sucks when people don't think things through, especially for an event that large.

 

[Apple fanboy]

The heat is on my mind. It’s officially too hot for me. Spent the evening loading the car. By the time I’d done that in full sun I was melting.

Tower fan is helping a bit now.

 

[KaliYoni]

Why on earth would a professional event organizer ARGUE with me? Yes, he tried to argue with me over something that could have been easily prevented by him and his staff. Any logistics or common sense on the part of these event organizers was completely nonexistent - and he took it out on me of all people. I was just there to play one short set with this funk band (that part went great), but man, it sucks when people don't think things through, especially for an event that large.

Heh, I'd say it's the age-old tension between concert promoters/booking agents and performers. That's why contract riders contain stuff that often seems ridiculous to the general public. Perhaps the best—maybe apocryphal—explanation of why riders exist is Van Halen's No Brown M&Ms Clause.

 

[DaveFromCampbelltown]

The heat is on my mind. It’s officially too hot for me. Spent the evening loading the car. By the time I’d done that in full sun I was melting.

Tower fan is helping a bit now.

If you share your heat with us, we will share our cold with you. It has been 1°C in the mornings around here.
The cat does not approve. Neither does the spouse.
Me, I have thick, gloopy Irish blood, so it doesn't really bother me.

 

[Certificate of Excellence]

Why on earth would a professional event organizer ARGUE with me? Yes, he tried to argue with me over something that could have been easily prevented by him and his staff. Any logistics or common sense on the part of these event organizers was completely nonexistent - and he took it out on me of all people. I was just there to play one short set with this funk band (that part went great), but man, it sucks when people don't think things through, especially for an event that large.

I'm curious. What did the event organizer not do that was your fault?

 

[Certificate of Excellence]

Speaking of heat, it topped off at 102F yesterday and 101 F today. Granted the humidity was all of 12% LOL but any chance I get, Im in shorts, tank top and sandals. I try not to growl about it though because I could live in a place like Phoenix AZ where it got to 110F at 2PM today. Last time I visited my friend, it was 100F at 2AM in the morning. How folks aren't just falling over left and right from dehydration I have no idea.

At least I can escape into the mountains if I want to get out of the heat.

 

[The Clark]

The heat is on my mind. It’s officially too hot for me. Spent the evening loading the car. By the time I’d done that in full sun I was melting.

Tower fan is helping a bit now.

Everybody loves summer until these hot days come along. I HATE days where it's too hot. Unless I'm in an AC room, I won't be able to focus on anything!

 

[rm5]

I'm curious. What did the event organizer not do that was your fault?

A lot of you folks know where I live, so I don't want to give too much detail because this was at a highly-publicized event at a well-known venue in the state, but okay...

The event served food to its attendees, and as there were probably over a thousand in attendance, there were many caterers moving things around. Unfortunately, the organizers did not think through how this would work when the musicians were ALSO loading in equipment at the same time as the caterers. We were all just doing our best, but the people running it shouted at the both groups (musicians and caterers), "We have to start on time! Hurry up!" We were all using the same entrances and exits, so you can imagine how this was challenging. It turned out that due to this commotion, I had to load in my gear through the public entrance. The organizers, wanting to begin right at noon on the dot, kept shouting at me to hurry up. I, being a keyboardist, have a LOT of gear to load in--I also brought one of my QSC K12.2 speakers to use as a monitor, which meant extra work loading gear in. We were all just doing our best, but clearly that didn't work for the organizers.

The ensemble director, as much as I love him, didn't help things, either. He asked me to move my rig far stage-left (a clear fire hazard). I knew this was a problem, and sure enough the staff approached me and blamed ME, as if I had anything to do with it (I should have initially said no when director asked me to move my stuff, that was my fault). I moved stuff farther right to open up the exit (back to where my keyboard was initially), and I can't say the ensemble director was pleased.

On the bright side, the music was great--to be expected with top-call players from all around the state. I enjoyed that part!

 

[Apple fanboy]

Everybody loves summer until these hot days come along. I HATE days where it's too hot. Unless I'm in an AC room, I won't be able to focus on anything!

No AC here. Most homes in the UK don’t have it. Our office doesn’t have it either.
My car does but I can’t sleep in there!

 

[The Clark]

My car does but I can’t sleep in there!

Unless you really piss off Mrs AFB 🤣

 

[rm5]

No AC here. Most homes in the UK don’t have it. Our office doesn’t have it either.
My car does but I can’t sleep in there!

We're lucky to have central air. I think we're the only house in the neighborhood with central air... but we're also the only house in the neighborhood with a lawn, so...

Our previous house I lived in until I was 9 years old had just an evaporative air conditioner (a "swamp cooler") that only cooled one section of the house.

 

[The Clark]

A lot of you folks know where I live, so I don't want to give too much detail because this was at a highly-publicized event at a well-known venue in the state, but okay...

The event served food to its attendees, and as there were probably over a thousand in attendance, there were many caterers moving things around. Unfortunately, the organizers did not think through how this would work when the musicians were ALSO loading in equipment at the same time as the caterers. We were all just doing our best, but the people running it shouted at the both groups (musicians and caterers), "We have to start on time! Hurry up!" We were all using the same entrances and exits, so you can imagine how this was challenging. It turned out that due to this commotion, I had to load in my gear through the public entrance. The organizers, wanting to begin right at noon on the dot, kept shouting at me to hurry up. I, being a keyboardist, have a LOT of gear to load in--I also brought one of my QSC K12.2 speakers to use as a monitor, which meant extra work loading gear in. We were all just doing our best, but clearly that didn't work for the organizers.

The ensemble director, as much as I love him, didn't help things, either. He asked me to move my rig far stage-left (a clear fire hazard). I knew this was a problem, and sure enough the staff approached me and blamed ME, as if I had anything to do with it (I should have initially said no when director asked me to move my stuff, that was my fault). I moved stuff farther right to open up the exit (back to where my keyboard was initially), and I can't say the ensemble director was pleased.

On the bright side, the music was great--to be expected with top-call players from all around the state. I enjoyed that part!

Do you ever listen to any hiphop music?

 

[Apple fanboy]

Unless you really piss off Mrs AFB 🤣

Lol. If I wanted to I couldn’t. At a trade show today so the car is full to the brim.