(This is an old post from 2015; the point is valid, but the changes are far more than “the small details,” as stated below. That was true at the time this post originally appeared, I’m sure. I think my point was, life on the surface has changed so much. There really wasn’t that much difference between people living in the 1980s and people living in the 1940s, except the former traveled in jet planes and the latter dressed a lot better. Now, not only is it a different world, it looks different, too.)
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.
74 responses to “The Medium Is the Message”
Like the NBA playoffs? Swear they last longer than the regular season.
“Scariest” matchup of the day? How about the Wake Forest Demon Deacons vs. the Duke Blue Devils? *cue theme from Twilight Zone*
“Least scary” matchup of the day? How about the Oregon Ducks vs. the Oregon State Beavers? *cue theme from Wild Kingdom*
“No Birth Control” vs. “Birth Control”? Notre Dame Fighting Irish at USC Trojans. *quietly lets self out of room*
Tonight is the “holy war” between the very secular University of Utah and the church-opened Brigham Young University. To put it mildly, the U of U owns the series: 60–34–4.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_War_(Utah_vs._BYU)
Final score: Alabama 52, Auburn 21. Better luck next year, Arlo. I mean Jimmy.
How about Ohio State over Michigan? 62-39 https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/ncaafb/no-10-ohio-state-continues-mastery-of-no-4-michigan-with-62-39-rout/ar-BBQ3auN?li=BBnb4R7
And I am not even a football fan!
Ghost, you might like this: https://www.scottevest.com/shop/mens-jackets/mens-CCW-jacket/enforcer-jacket-men.shtml
Galliglo:
I follow Ohio State football, and that’s about it.
That game yesterday completely shocked me. I was fully expecting Michigan to obliterate OSU.
I suppose my former boss’s practice of losing weight prior to the eatin’ holidays works. Week before last, I lost 3.5 pounds. This week, I gained only 3.0 pounds. Take that, holiday feasts!
I haven’t researched it, but recently I’ve noticed some college football games that have produced what seems to me to be a ridiculous number of points. In fact, the Texas A&M 74 – LSU 72 score yesterday apparently set some type of scoring record. I’m old enough to remember when good teams didn’t seem to allow their opponents to score that many points in an entire season.
Have college football offenses gotten that good? Or have the defenses gotten that bad? Or have the rule makers, deciding that touchdowns provide more “excitement” for casual viewers watching games on TV, somehow cooked the rules book? Not having followed the sport for the past couple of years I really don’t know.
Ghost, last nights score was mostly due to the 7 (seven!) overtimes. Starting on the 25 yard line makes it easier to score. Also, when the game is that long the fatigue that everyone feels is more of a risk to defenders. The announcers for the LSU and A&M game were calling it an “instant classic.” With that said, the wide-open offense some teams use seems to encourage big plays. Lots of big plays equal high scores.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kf-wsZVX3Uc
This gives a whole new meaning to the phrase “protecting the family jewels”.
Also, those poor, non-traditional shoppers could have been seriously injured by those wildly flailing edged weapons. Perhaps it’s time we had a national conversation about common sense sword control.
Oh, wait. Never mind. I believe that’s in Canada.
Pair working on nest at 0903 25 Nov.!
https://explore.org/livecams/birds/decorah-eagles-north-nest
Peace,
Those football high scores in overtime games are the result of the powers not wanting tie games. Me? I’d say that we keep tie games in the curriculum.
If the current system MUST be used, at least give possession at, say, midfield, so that the ball needs to be moved even for a reasonable field goal attempt. Possession at the 25 yard line is, apparently, too close and leads to easy scores.
My orchestra tackled this TSO number Friday evening. It was the first time we’d had the guitars, and they were up to the challenge!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHioIlbnS_A
TR- coooooooool
🙂
I guess that I did not check in last week. I was very busy at work Monday and Tuesday and then took the rest of the week off, so I did not get a chance.
I can’t agree more with Jimmy regarding the amount of change, however I would say that the miniaturization of electronics from the 50’s to 80’s was dramatic. So were communication satellites that made the world a smaller place. But it was computers, internet and cell phones that have really been a game changer.
I actually watched 2 football games on Thanksgiving as I have increasingly become less interested. Of course if Drew Brees and the Saints keep it up, I will be watching the playoffs with great interest.
Here’s a post to AWAD about a word that is often used in the plural, “fiddlesticks”. Mom used it.
From: … Subject: Re: A.Word.A.Day—fiddlestick As is explained in The Revival of Banned Dances: A Worldwide Study (p. 166), dancing and the instruments used to make dance music, including violins, have been banned by conservative forces in various cultures throughout history. Thus fiddlesticks would take on connotations of subversion, a prime characteristic for becoming a more-than-four-letter word. Cave City, KY
Peace,
To watch today’s Mars landing: https://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html#media
starts at 1pm Central, touchdown expected around 2 Central.
So… Chickweed Lane mentioned a G&S I haven’t had the chance to see. Maybe one of our local universities will get around to it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Yeomen_of_the_Guard
Grevy zebras, impala, rain.
https://explore.org/livecams/african-wildlife/african-river-wildlife-cameraopera
Trucker: It’s their one +/- tragic opera, but hardly grand.
Peace,
Looks like Janis made sure the Christmas decorating included their sweaters.