We now have Tivo. Our kids, Jeff and Jeny, gave it to us for Christmas. They are trying hard to drag us into the 21st Century.
We are surrounded by Blackberrys, Iphones, Ipods, GPSs, Laptops. We know something about the Internet, Facebook, E-Mail, Google, Instant Messaging, Twitter, My Space, Skype, Blogger, YouTube, Firefox, and Tivo. Some of those we have and some not. Some that we have we know how to use some of and some, none of. I tweet, but I don’t text. I have an ipod, but not an iphone. I browse, but I don't Skype.
We are surrounded by Blackberrys, Iphones, Ipods, GPSs, Laptops. We know something about the Internet, Facebook, E-Mail, Google, Instant Messaging, Twitter, My Space, Skype, Blogger, YouTube, Firefox, and Tivo. Some of those we have and some not. Some that we have we know how to use some of and some, none of. I tweet, but I don’t text. I have an ipod, but not an iphone. I browse, but I don't Skype. As for the Tivo, ours is actually DVR, the Time Warner equivalent; but it doesn’t matter, we still haven’t gotten the hang of it yet. A couple of times I have set it to record two programs simultaneously that I wanted to watch later. I didn’t know you couldn’t really do that. In the middle of one of Tom’s ball games, the TV switched over to one of my programs and started to record the Emmy-nominated
number Fear from So You Think You Can Dance. There was great consternation until I could come in from the other room and figure out how to cancel one recording or the other so Tom could get back to his game. Lesson learned.
Tom and I are caught in a kind of a time warp, especially when it concerns television. While he likes all current news programs and my guilty pleasures include reality talent shows, such as 
American Idol, and So You Think You Can Dance, the shows we both really like to watch together are the old ones--Casablanca,
The Wizard of Oz, Oklahoma, My Fair Lady, A Place in the Sun, Grapes of Wrath, To Kill a Mockingbird and so many others on
Turner Classic Movies.
And of course we love Opie, Aunt Bee, Gomer, Barney Fife, Thelma Lou, Otis, Andy and all the rest on the Andy Griffin Show.
American Idol, and So You Think You Can Dance, the shows we both really like to watch together are the old ones--Casablanca,
The Wizard of Oz, Oklahoma, My Fair Lady, A Place in the Sun, Grapes of Wrath, To Kill a Mockingbird and so many others on
Turner Classic Movies.
And of course we love Opie, Aunt Bee, Gomer, Barney Fife, Thelma Lou, Otis, Andy and all the rest on the Andy Griffin Show.
So we have found a use for the Tivo that we both can enjoy. While our kids are tivoing Survivor, Big Brother, The Amazing Race, How I Met Your Mother, Tom and I are tivoing reruns of Lawrence
Thanks for reminding me of the Homeless Helping Homeless article. I might just snatch that idea right up and post it on my blog. It's very revealing to look at the comments of the readers on the State's website about that story.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about communication in the 21st century. I used to be of the mind that ALL communication potential was a good thing. But then I got to peek at some Facebook stuff from my sons and their friends. Whew! That stuff is going to haunt some people some day. It is not private by any means, yet the most private ideas are written and viewed. It is like our filters are coming down. Those filters are there for a reason. It is a good thing to have thoughts and not share them.
It was so fine to return to FNB yesterday. And wonderful to reconnect with you guys. I feel very out of the loop. I'll be back. In the meantime, thanks for all of the selfless acts that you both do. One might even call that "Social Justice". Careful, someone might tell on you.
Peace
Thanks Tim.
ReplyDeleteIt was great to see you back at Food Not Bombs yesterday in Finlay Park. We are pleased that you are feeling better after your surgery.
Its sad that so many are convinced that poor people are poor because they will not work and deserve to be poor. In our affluence worshiping, "greed is good" culture it is not surprising.
Usage of technology is a necessary tool for communication in today's information oriented world, but it can consume waaay too much of our time and box people into a virtual world that diminishes awareness of the real life that surrounds us. One of my childhood mentors said there is nothing more important for mutual understanding than to look someone in the eyes when you have a conversation with them.
As someone whose profession requires us to find the cause of auto accidents, I know it would be much safer on our streets and highways if drivers focused their minds on the flow of traffic rather than on the conversation they are having on their cell phones.
I guess the questions is, are all these people really "communicating" or are they just leaving insignificant footprints? (I could say, "footprints in the sands of time." Gag.)
ReplyDelete