# Stuff that just amazes me. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 21, 2009, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-that-just-amazes-me/482284 "2009-01-21T10:53:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-that-just-amazes-me/482284/81 "2009-01-23T18:02:31Z")
> [@Toxylon](#): > > Has the fact that things like listening to music or taking a picture have become quicker, easier and cheaper than ever before increased the amount of happiness or satisfaction people feel? Maybe not for you, but it has for me. I have a decent sized record collection that I haven’t listened to in years because I don’t have a good enough space to put the record player (which takes up a lot of space by virtue of needing to open the lid)… so I wasn’t able to enjoy a lot of my music _at all_ until other technology made it more easily available. Also because records wear out and get scratched and get dirty and all kinds of other things, my enjoyment of certain albums degraded as the album did. Scratch makes an album skip? Unless you buy a new one, you can no longer enjoy that song at all. I like to listen to music while I move around the house. Many things that I do are now more enjoyable because I can do them while listening to music. I can’t drag my record player around with me, and even a cassette player was usually too cumbersome to be worth the trouble, and even then there was a limit to how much of your collection you could tote around with you. My mp3 player on the other hand gives me a lot more enjoyment because I can listen to a lot more music, simply because of the increased opportunities of places and situations where I can have my music with me. And I generally listen to smaller playlists over and over for a long time and then do a new one, so I get the same type of exposure that you get from listening to an album over and over. ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-that-just-amazes-me/482284/82 "2009-01-23T21:14:43Z")
> [@willthekittensurvive](#): > > Whats next? Calling orbital bombardments with my cellphone? It’s the only way to be sure. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-that-just-amazes-me/482284/83 "2009-01-23T21:18:16Z")
They had a cell phone that would do that, but the bombardment was directed to the cell phone’s coordinates. Back to the drawing board… ---
**Author:** ![WormTheRed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbe5ce/32.png) [@WormTheRed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WormTheRed)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-that-just-amazes-me/482284/84 "2009-01-23T22:16:54Z")
> [@control-z](#): > > They had a cell phone that would do that, but the bombardment was directed to the cell phone’s coordinates. Back to the drawing board… Didn’t the Israelis kill a Hamas/PLO/IJ/Hezbolah leader like that? Switched his cell-phone and **kablam** , when he made his next call! (or am I mixing up fiction and reality) ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-that-just-amazes-me/482284/85 "2009-01-23T22:27:01Z")
> [@Toxylon](#): > > Has the fact that things like listening to music or taking a picture have become quicker, easier and cheaper than ever before increased the amount of happiness or satisfaction people feel? Has it even increased the enjoyment out of the particular activity? Yes, it has. > [@](#): > > Listening to CDs on a home stereo system is different from listening to an Ipod, At least you admit that much. > [@](#): > > but is it less enjoyable? Try walking around carrying a Hi-Fi system. > [@](#): > > Has the technology answered our needs or just created new ones? What new needs are created by an MP3 player? > [@](#): > > A person used to being able to instantly pick a song out of 3000 at any one moment gets annoyed if that option becomes unavailable, Why would it? > [@](#): > > whereas a person using older tech is happy to get to listen to a song they like even if it takes ten seconds or so (whoa!) to pick the song out of a CD shelf and load the CD player. And what if that option becomes unavailable? > [@](#): > > I sit down and listen, concentrated on what I hear. I do that too, sometimes. I do it with FLACs, though, and I have the option to convert them to MP3s and listen to them on the go. > [@](#): > > Having music on the go, thousands of songs at my disposal, would change things, but would it truly add anything meaningful to my life? Would I enjoy music more? You’ll never know unless you try. > [@](#): > > “I can’t think of anything worth doing that’s quick and easy.” Taking a piss isn’t worthwile? > [@](#): > > Having to" repeatedly listen to whole albums has given me many favorite songs I wouldn’t otherwise have heard enough to learn to appreciate. Good for you. The rest of us don’t like sifting through the crap record companies forced on the band. > [@](#): > > Anticipation is, in hindsight, often a very big part of pastime thrills. It’s still time spent listenting to crap. > [@](#): > > I’m just old (and ludditish) enough to vividly remember life before the internet, cellphones, mp3s, DVDs etc. So am I. Doesn’t lead me to bash those things. > [@](#): > > Has my life become more enjoyable due to the changes in consumer electronics? Mine has. > [@](#): > > Things like getting information on oddball interests has gotten easier And information on things like cancer, as well. > [@](#): > > while the satisfaction of getting it has been watered down. I can do without the thrill of hunting for information I really need right now. > [@](#): > > People adapt to prevailing conditions yet aren’t happy for long, as long as new levels of technological bliss are on offer. That depends on the person. Your kind doesn’t have a monopoly on happiness. > [@](#): > > Impatience is the biggest gift of it all, it seems. It does lead to a lot of advances (trains, cars, planes, etc.) ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2009, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-that-just-amazes-me/482284/86 "2009-01-24T00:37:34Z")
> [@Toxylon](#): > > I still listen to music the way I did when I first got into it, back in '85 or so. I sit down and listen, concentrated on what I hear. Having music on the go, thousands of songs at my disposal, would change things, but would it truly add anything meaningful to my life? Would I enjoy music more? Kinda, yeah. My taste in music is oftentimes really mood-oriented. I have albums by bands that I love, but in certain moods I wouldn’t be able to even stand them. What my ipod does for me is that whenever I’m hit by a certain mood, it can be met because my whole collection is at my fingertips. By having the right music available at the right time, it greatly increases my appreciation and enjoyment of the songs in question. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2009, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-that-just-amazes-me/482284/87 "2009-01-24T01:31:06Z")
You can get a $50 radio with an iPod dock and now you can listen to your iPod on speakers anywhere you go. If the radio has a remote control you can sit back on your couch and pick the artist or album or individual song you want to hear, on demand. I can also stream music through my Playstation3 or Tivo. More options = more flexibility and more enjoyment. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2009, 10:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-that-just-amazes-me/482284/88 "2009-01-24T10:24:02Z")
> [@Toxylon](#): > > Has the fact that things like … taking a picture have become quicker, easier and cheaper than ever before increased the amount of happiness or satisfaction people feel? Yes. I love photography and enjoy doing stuff with it. The number of things you can so easily do and manipulate now I get great satisfaction out of. ---
**Author:** ![ashenRiot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/65b543/32.png) [@ashenRiot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ashenRiot)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-that-just-amazes-me/482284/89 "2009-01-25T06:43:09Z")
I love that I can vaguely remember a song from 20 years ago, just one line really, and within 30 minutes I have the full song playing on my pc. now that’s amazing… ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Buttons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@Mr\_Buttons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Buttons)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-that-just-amazes-me/482284/90 "2009-01-25T08:21:08Z")
> [@Santo\_Rugger](#): > > Heck, I just bought one of the Western Digital Passport external hard drives. It measures about 6" x 3.5" by 3/4", weighs about half a pound, and holds 500 _gigs!_ This makes my paying $200 for an external zip drive I barely used and 5 zip disks (100 Meg capacity, woohoo!; and oh yeah, $25/piece) seem like quite a bad investment back in 2000, lol. ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 8:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-that-just-amazes-me/482284/91 "2009-01-25T08:56:01Z")
I’m typing this\>\>\> :🆒: and dozens of people all over the world can see it. That’s amazing ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-that-just-amazes-me/482284/92 "2009-01-25T15:17:18Z")
> [@chowder](#): > > I’m typing this\>\>\> :🆒: and dozens of people all over the world can see it. > > That’s amazing Dozens? Wow! I’m in an exclusive club after all. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-that-just-amazes-me/482284/93 "2009-01-25T15:50:12Z")
> [@brewha](#): > > For a bit of perspective, you could fit about 20 hour long tv epdisodes in .avi format on something that could comfortably fit up your nose. > > Last edited by brewha; 01-21-2009 at 10:35 AM. Reason: I currently have a microSD card up my nose. I had to test it. Ha! That brought back fond memories of this thread: [I stuck my wedding ring up my nose](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=209087) On preview: Hi, Opal! Back on topic: **Princhester** , the advent of digital photography has been a godsend for me, and my skills have greatly improved thanks to all the reasons you cited. ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-that-just-amazes-me/482284/94 "2009-01-25T23:39:18Z")
Google. Wikipedia. Best research tools ever. Anything you want to know about, just a few clicks away. I can remember when merely double-checking the spelling of a word required you to look it up in a book, let alone finding out more about Babylonian mythology. Sometimes, however, too much information can be a bad thing. Last year, I fell in love with a song from a Trapeze demo, and went on a mission to find a properly recorded version of the song, which was only released on a limited edition, out of print CD. I imagined myself on a quest, just like with so many rare, obscure songs in the past, which could take months or even years to find – well, two days later, I found the CD on a torrent. Which was nice, but…the journey was a somewhat of a letdown. ---
**Author:** ![Ca3799](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@Ca3799](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ca3799)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2009, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-that-just-amazes-me/482284/95 "2009-01-26T00:53:55Z")
[quote=“zenith, post:58, topic:482284”] I can let a modern car with electronically-controlled spark and ignition sit for days in any weather, turn the key without touching the accelerator in any way, and the car will start. QUOTE] Some of us don’t turn a key anymore. We just need it on our person for the car to unlock for us and start. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-that-just-amazes-me/482284.md?page=4)