When my grandmother was born, airplanes were more than a decade in the future. In my lifetime, space exploration and exploitation became a reality. In the 20th century, automobiles took over. Electricity and telephones became ubiquitous, and television was invented. It would be impossible to name a century of greater change. Yet, I think more apparent change has occurred in the past two decades. By apparent change, I mean changes in daily life and routine. Think how dated movies made only a few years ago can seem. You’ll see people running around frantically searching for pay phones. You’ll see black computer screens with green type. You’ll hear people asking, “Where are we?!” The fabric of daily life now has an entirely different feel. Take, for example, the above cartoon from 20 years ago. Of course, many people—if they still have land lines—still have answering machines, but they’re not the icon of connectivity they once were. And kids in the household certainly do not consider them a lifeline! Technological change has been a juggernaut for the past 200 years, but the small details have never been more apparent than in the current century.
160 responses to “Answer Man”
Fudge pie! My Cyrillic keyboard won’t work in here.
Try deuce Russkiye zhenshchiny mozhet byt’ blondinka, no ne tupaya.
Girl Scout (chirpily): “Would you like to buy some Girl Scout cookies?”
Wednesday Addams (deadpan): “Are they made from real Girl Scouts?”
Last year, a 13-year-old California Girl Scout set up a table outside a marijuana dispensary (aka, pot shop) in San Francisco and reportedly sold 117 boxes of cookies in two hours. She and her family took some heat for that, but I predict a successful business career in marketing for her.
Is Loon telling dirty jokes in Russian now?
Saját hovercraft tele van sz?ke angolna.
Some letters do not transcribe well here.
OF due 1729-1749 CST. Overcast but no fog. Peace, emb
http://www.nps.gov/features/yell/webcam/oldFaithfulStreaming.html
Symply promised Trucker Ron (I think?!? or was it Sandcastler?) a picture of the project as it proceeds so here is the most recent:
https://scontent-b-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/10926192_10204855433778921_3926747059790483399_n.jpg?oh=6ff0bb6ae5d1cf6544673f54cce23a75&oe=552A819C
Think it is looking Fargone awesome so far….
Looks like Loon pulled the plug on Jerry’s tub. Having 38 years experience with this woman I would advise quit while you have a head
Oh no Ghost, not a joke. Just practicing Russkiy deplomency, al la la Putin.
Symply, looking good. Love the color, name please. Nice looking air scoop on the vtwin. Thanks for the progress report.
Basic translation on the Loon comment. Blonde Russian women are not dummies. The second is a more vailed reference to Putin style diplomacy; unclear whether Florida is under threat of annexation or invasion.
Jackie: “OK, on the red seedless grapes you mix them with dry cereal, skim milk and nuke the entire thing?”
I misled you with “rye flakes” and such. These are all comparable to uncooked oatmeal, which is sort of misnamed. They are all meant to be cooked as hot cereal. We/I just learned to nuke our hot cereal with skim milk rather than water. Worked fine. You do it in a two qt. oven-glass bowl. Wife used to eat half of that and heat the rest next morning. I eat the whole thing. As I’ve said here before, I do a qt. of skim a day. She averaged maybe 3 glasses a day. When orthopod put a bionic knee in her right leg [age 76 or so], he told me she had the bones of a 60 year-old.
I’m told that, when they cremate someone, bionic joints are sent to some recycling service [for the materials, not for use in cut-rate surgery]. [I asked the undertaker.]
Peace, emb
This BBC science article may hold interest for some in the room. There is now a way to scan and read scrolls that were fired 2k years ago by a volcano. What will be revealed could redefine and or add to our treasure of ancient literature.
http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-30888767
Although I did put a little spin on it the incident did happen and I don’t regret trying to be nice to two people who needed help and were completely out of their element. For fear of Russians I refer you to the movie “The Russians are Coming”.
Symply: Bob can’t stop saying “Wow!” The color is nice but he’s most impressed with the quality of the paint job.
Jerry: That movie still makes me laugh just thinking about it. What a cast!
@sandcastler™,
The bike’s name is oddly enough “Fargone”(stitched in the seat and Symply Fargone will go on the scoop). The paint job is done by the guy helping me to design the bike. Jay at Stones Motorcycle in Northborough, MA. It is Symply stunning to my eye.
@Ruth Anne in WP,
Hope he keeps Fargone saying that after he Symply sees how the bags and tank look.
I too was impressed by the color and quality of the paint job. And the booster rockets.
sandcastler ™, I read your story and it is interesting. Look forward to them getting better at it so the works can be reprinted. I went to the main science header on the BBC site to see what else was going on and found this: http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-30875102
And like the article by Mr. Bush, the basic idea was mentioned in print before the technology was even created.
I kept waiting for them to mention the movie but I had to read to the end before they did.
Symply, I am simply in awe! That’s going to be one beautiful ride.
Debbe 😉 Hon, is your head hurting as badly as mine from all this high-level, rarefied information being proffered here abouts? 🙂
Here’s one I ran across by a group I hadn’t thought of in years.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCHHHAeSBvY
Here’s an article detailing the previous successful method for reading those charcoaled scrolls:
http://magazine.byu.edu/?act=view&a=43
TR, thanks for the link. I am hopeful we can learn their secrets.
Sitting here eating the golden split pea soup (put carrots in too late and they are still crisp) but rest was delicious. Will be better for even more cooking. I was right, the sweet pulled pork flavor of the ham was great. Realized this may be first food I have cooked in a month despite a full pantry and refrigerator. I will go defrost something out of freezer for meat and try again.
Sitting around torturing myself listening to traditional and contemporary Hawaiian music, especially Brudda Iz, what a great voice! Died way too young of obesity issues, a problem with many native Hawaiians who while tall are extremely heavy. When I was in Weight Watchers there the women were often 6 feet or more easily but weighed immense amounts. They could not understand a little bitty Haole being there (trying to maintain of course) but it bothered them.
Leaving Hawaii to return to the mainland was one of the stupidest things I ever did. It is called “Rock Fever” and I realized what a mistake really fast but couldn’t undo. Often wonder about roads not taken or taken.
Sorry, nor very uplifting conversation except maybe the pea soup or if Mark could link a song by Israel like “Over the Rainbow/What A wonderful World” as he is uplifting!
Love, Jackie