OTOH, the popularity of outdoor activities lik camping , hiking and rafting have gone up since the mass popularity of mobile phones. For someone who was subject to call ins in the bad old days, it meant staying at home where the phone was. Now, one can go shopping, visiting, camping, etc and still be reachable. Most of the time, the issue can be resolved over the phone too (especially with smart phones) meaning that a trip to the office isn’t necessary.
( And who the hell still uses Blackberries? 
)
I agree with this! My husband is on call every 3rd week for the whole week. We can do so much more those weeks/weekends because of his cell phone than we could if we had to be home in case a call came in.
Yeah, I’m not seeing the hate for texting, and I’m such a Luddite I don’t have a cell phone!
But texting allows me to not bother you with a phone call, especially while you’re working, over something that’s not time sensitive. So I don’t need to interrupt your workday with a call to say, “please bring home milk!” Or, “when you’re done, wanna see a movie?”, or a thousand other things.
I don’t think you get to complain about excess cell use AND bitch about texting. If I can’t leave a text, I’m gonna need to call, right?
Can openers. Unless you have arthritis, you’re much better off using a manual can opener. The electric ones are cumbersome, loud, and–after a few uses–filthy. AND, to top it off, they only last a few years at most.
I camped before the age of cell phones and I camped after. The difference was that when you were out in the wilderness, or even just on the beach, you were out; you could not be reached. People accepted this. Now, the expectation is you are always reachable.
There is nothing sadder than seeing one of my colleagues on the beach or in a canoe physically, but mentally wrestling with a contract case or whatever. The notion of ‘working from home’ or ‘being able to vacation when on call’ sounds great in theory, but in reality it means there is never a break from pressure - because the technology means there never has to be a break.
Around here, lawyers.
Sadly, the power locks in my 2008 Corolla stopped working a few years ago. I’m scared to ask about it because it’s not worth paying to fix, since the car before that had manual locks and they aren’t too much trouble.
I’ll offer a slightly divergent opinion. Not all dishwashers are created equal. My wife and I replaced a early 1990s vintage dishwasher that worked like a charm, albeit a water and power-hungry charm, with a 2007-ish GE basic model dishwasher for about $400 bucks.
That thing sucked balls. It wouldn’t clean things that were dirty well, and it actually would get grease onto things during the wash cycle that were otherwise clean, like a glass used for drinking water that may have had lip prints.
It was barely acceptable if we pre-scraped and rinsed the dishes AND used the top-of-the-line Cascade Platinum or Finish Quantum detergents.
Fast forward about 2 years- we entirely renovated our kitchen and got a mid-range Maytag, and the difference is night and day. This thing gets everything clean almost every wash- occasionally we’ll have some stuck on spots, or something will end up shielded from the jets and retain some crud.
We use the Finish All-in-One detergent and it works fine. The only ongoing issue we have is that baby bottle nipples don’t get squeaky clean and seem to retain some grease.
The only “anyone” who counts: the gov’t. That feature is mandated by law.
The only thing I can think of offhand is touch screens and menus in cars. What idiot thought it was a great idea to have to scroll through a menu to adjust the stereo? The old haptic controls worked fine and you could use them without ever taking your eye off the road.
Yes. Texting is a nice feature. I text more than I call. Most if my communication isn’t time sensitive.
This. Holy crap, let’s criminalize fiddling with your phone while driving, while also making your car radio work exactly the same way as a phone!
It’s even dumber because it blocks me from doing certain actions while driving. Want to change the station, set your clock, or adjust the bass while driving? No problem! Does your passenger want to pair their bluetooth phone with the stereo so we can listen to their music instead? “This feature has been disabled for your safety. Please bring the car to a complete stop to use this feature.” :smack:
Perhaps in your line of work it increases expectations, but for those of us who were regularly scheduled to be on call, they gave a lot of freedom.
(As far as Blackberries are concerned, I work in the mobile device industry and our fulfillment numbers of them are next to nothing. So a few attorneys are what is keeping them going. )
Sometimes it’s hard not to be a libertarian.
This might be wrong but in the past I don’t remember there being a delay when people spoke “via satellite” to newscasters.
Now it seems that something has changed (I’m guessing digital versus analog or something?) and interviews by video are really hard to watch, because of the delay.
I notice this the most on* the Daily Show* but I know I’ve seen it elsewhere since (kept a lookout for it, wondering if it was only a TDS problem).
Why would the government care if you’re killed or injured in a car accident? It was the insurance companies that cared because they had to pay out money. They were the ones who pushed for seat belt laws.
Eliminate the government and private companies will just have more power.
But you aren’t forced to do business with any company (except when the government mandates it).
Buying gas with a credit card.
“Pay inside or outside”
“Debit or credit”
“Pin number/ zip code”
“Would you like a car wash?”
No. I just want some ****ing gas
“Would you like a receipt?”
AUGHHHHH
On the flip side, I like being able to get gas at even a closed station…also gas stations that used to let people pump gas before paying? That was a crazy concept.
Processed/prepackaged foods.
Holy crap. Pancake mix shouldn’t even be a thing.
Well, after they ended the time when they would pump, fill your tires and check your oil, there was a decade or more where you had to go in after (or sometimes before) pumping and give them yoru credit card to pay. Pay at the pump is a huge improvement.
Why not? you got everything right their in the right proportions. just add water and you’re good to go.