I was out walking my dogs the other day, and I slipped and fell into a time warp, and ended up spending the day hanging out in the year 2035. Similar to a fellow Doper, I was so offended by how Marty McFly flipped up his skateboard that I never got the idea to pick up a sports almanac (:D), so I missed the big historical events.
But I was fasacinated by the things that Americans in the 30’s found “mundane” which I found novel or strange. Some examples:
-the NFL regular season is 18 games long; college football has a playoff.
-September 11, Patriot Day, is a Federal holiday.
-there has been a female president, who did fine, although not as good as her supporters think, and not as bad as her detractors insist.
-3d television is common, and live TV events (like sports and awards shows), first run tv shows, and video games, all come in 3d. It still won’t work well unless you wear the glasses.
-because everyone squints at computer screens all day, the afore-mentioned 3d phenomenon, and the genius of some Apple guy who invented the I-Glass(which projects your smart phone onto your lenses), virtually everyone wears glasses, to the point that it’s weird seeing them without them. Glasses in the 30’s can correct or enhance your vision, adjust the tint when you’re in the sun, and is integrated into your smart phone, which is basically a clip on your belt.
Glasses, though, are much bigger than what we’re used to. John Lennon style glasses look comically small to the teens coming of age in the 2030s.
-due to all of the safety technology in cars, which prevent minor fender benders by overriding the driver, it’s impossible to find a manual transmission anymore. Sure, there are paddle shifters, but no clutch, and no ability to stall your car.
-the Straight Dope is still fighting ignorance.
What else did I miss?