So trivial, yet it really ticks you off.

[tonyb]

I had to laugh earlier today because I was watching the local morning news and the two anchors were discussing the numbers of photos on their cell phones. One had over 12,000, the other had over 17,000. I thought that seemed kind of excessive and couldn't understand how or why anyone would want that many photos on their cell phone, so I checked mine. 125. Not 125,000. 125. Seems a lot more reasonable.

I have several thousand. I send photos of works in progress to people giving me money. I take photos of recipes and pieces of art I find interesting and often several of whatever mechanical contraption I happen to be taking apart, so that I can refer back when putting it back together.

I get around to deleting not nearly as frequently as I might. But wotthehell, it ain’t costing me anything extra to have them, and they ain’t taking up any space in the physical world, where they would be in my way.

 

[Hercule]

And another thing . . . clothes.

I really haven't had to dress up for work in years so, oddly enough, I really haven't had to buy new shirts for quite a while. I've had a collection that, until recently, hasn't shown undue wear and tear. But my supply has started to dwindle. They fit just fine but are showing some age. So off to the store I go. I try on shirts, the same size I've worn for years and, what the hell, NOTHING fits! I mean ABSOLUTELY nothing in the size I've ALWAYS worn will fit. And not by a considerable measure. Next size larger? NOPE! So up one more I go. So much for vanity. I blame the 12 year olds working in the sweatshops of Bangladesh where all our clothing is made, for indiscriminately sewing together scraps off the floor, and, nodoubt, laughing at the thought of rotund Americans trying to cram themselves into their liliputian creations. And before you accuse me of excess vanity and refusing to admit to my growing girth, my wife bought a shirt for my son. He, at best wears a medium, but she liked a particular shirt that she had no choice in buying an XL. Surprise, IT DIDN'T FIT!

 

[Zombie_61]

And another thing . . . clothes...I mean ABSOLUTELY nothing in the size I've ALWAYS worn will fit...I blame the 12 year olds working in the sweatshops of Bangladesh where all our clothing is made...And before you accuse me of excess vanity and refusing to admit to my growing girth, my wife bought a shirt for my son. He, at best wears a medium, but she liked a particular shirt that she had no choice in buying an XL. Surprise, IT DIDN'T FIT!

I've been wearing size XL tee shirts for a few decades now, but over the last 10-15 years I've noticed they don't quite fit the same as they used to. During that time my weight has hovered around the 200 lb. mark (give or take 5 pounds) and my physique hasn't drastically changed, but new XL tee shirts I've purchased in recent years have quite a bit of excess material around the torso and less room in the shoulders. I blame it on generations much younger than myself sitting on their loathsome backsides playing video games, watching movies at home, and texting from their local coffee shops. They aren't getting any actual exercise, so their upper bodies are decreasing in muscle mass and their midsections are growing exponentially; evolution, but not in a positive direction. So clothing manufacturers around the world have been forced to change their patterns to accommodate these pudgy weaklings, and we other customers are having to figure out which sizes we wear now and adjust our purchases accordingly.

 

[GHT]

I blame it on generations much younger than myself sitting on their loathsome backsides playing video games, watching movies at home, and texting from their local coffee shops. They aren't getting any actual exercise, so their upper bodies are decreasing in muscle mass and their midsections are growing exponentially; evolution, but not in a positive direction. So clothing manufacturers around the world have been forced to change their patterns to accommodate these pudgy weaklings, and we other customers are having to figure out which sizes we wear now and adjust our purchases accordingly.

We, more or less, share a similar body weight, I have never had the fitting problems that you speak of, then again, I have always had the luxury of my own made to measure clothes fairy. She has a tag that she sews into every garment using the word maid, as a pun for made.

 

[tonyb]

I’ll say it again, because it annoys me that much …

Cable news reporting that such-and-such a percentage of poll respondents *believe* such-and-such a thing.

You ain’t mind readers. You can’t possibly know for certain what any person other than yourself believes. You can report that such-and-such a percentage of poll respondents *said* they believed such-and-such a thing. That’s fine, but without that caveat I’m left wondering if these people are unfamiliar with preference falsification.

 

[tonyb]

I unsubscribed from at least 20 email lists this afternoon. Maybe more like 30. I’ve just had more than my fill of alarmist emails from political campaigns asking for money. I delete 15 or 20 of them and when I check my email a couple hours later I have 15 or 20 more.

Were these people never told the story about the boy who cried wolf? These people have been screaming “crisis” for so long and so loudly that they’ll be ignored when the actual crisis hits us.

 

[Trenchfriend]

(Electric) guitar topic.

Would you say, that a thin, perfect fitting neck could be 50% of learning success?

 

[Zombie_61]

(Electric) guitar topic.

Would you say, that a thin, perfect fitting neck could be 50% of learning success?

I've never thought I had "large" hands, but when I was first learning how to play guitar I was told by more than one instructor that I would find it "easier" to play and/or play "better" on a guitar with a medium or wide neck. So, yes, I can't say what percentage of success it might be, but for "portable" instruments like guitars and horns I do believe the instrument should be of a proper size to suit the player. Not necessarily "thin", but "perfect fitting" would be preferable.

 

[Edward]

I’m still reeling (an understatement) from a bad haircut yesterday (whoever said three days is the difference between a bad and a good haircut never had to live with one!) and I’m having a cranky day so I’ll take this opportunity to vent a little.
.

no, please - keep telling me all about your problem haircut. Sai the guy who balded at 28.

Heh. In truth, once I got to the point of stopping trying to buzzcut to hide it and just went for the full shave, from then on I can honestly say I wouldn't go back to having hair if you paid me. So much less hassle! (and a great excuse to buy more hats.)

Personal technology is slowly but steadily robbing humanity of its ability to interact face to face. I say "slowly," but it's happening a lot faster than anyone could have anticipated. Think about how many everyday interactions you would have had face-to-face just thirty years ago that are now transacted via apps. And think of how things were twenty years ago, ten years ago, and five years ago. And then tell me I'm a Luddite and an alarmist.

Put the gadgets down, humanity, while you still can. This isn't the future you want.

In all truth I go back and forth on this. Ideologically, I'd agree with you, but then, but then.... In all truth, I simply often prefer the 'app approach'. Not so much for the illusion of convenience, but because an awful lot of the time I simply prefer not to have to interact with humanity. I don't even like voice-controlled tech. I may, of course, need protecting from myself...

Search engines
They seem to be getting worse at finding what I have typed.

Indeed. Very good at offering ads that are at least vaguely connected, though.

I had to laugh earlier today because I was watching the local morning news and the two anchors were discussing the numbers of photos on their cell phones. One had over 12,000, the other had over 17,000. I thought that seemed kind of excessive and couldn't understand how or why anyone would want that many photos on their cell phone, so I checked mine. 125. Not 125,000. 125. Seems a lot more reasonable.

Mine have definitely shot up since it got to the point that my phone camera was good enough to produce photos as good as any dedicated snaps digital camera I might pick up. What I regret is how long it is since I last printed out any photos. Really need to change that.... I'm also currently shelling out on a photobucket account which I want to close, but I have loads of stuff on there and they have it set up so I have to download one single shot at a time....

My opinion? This began taking place a long time before iPhones, the World Wide Web and Zoom meetings.

Explosive growth of private automobile ownership. Once we were safely nestled inside of our horseless carriages and were no longer exclusively dependent upon streetcars, buses, interurbans, intercity trains, etc., social skills began diminishing. We no longer had to rub elbows with total strangers within close proximity and courtesy became a nicety rather than a necessity. That "freedom of the open road" that everyone sought extracted its price in increasing isolation. Electronic communication is simply the latest- and likely, not even the final- nail in the proverbial coffin.

Interesting thesis. The motor car the average person could afford was a later development here in the UK, but certainly makes for a very different world than negotiating public transport. I moved from semi-rural Ireland (in the North East) where there was a train service but it was very limited and if you wanted to travel at certain times or go to large chunks of the place, driving was the only option, to central London where the tube / bus / other trains mean I've neither needed nor wanted a car in twenty years. I keep hearing self-drive cars available on demand will wipe out the market for private cars. I doubt that myself, though we'll see. It would be great for people like me who don't want a car full time and don't like driving either. I think it's more likely to wipe out taxis than private cars, though.

I'll add: we meet here in the Lounge because of "gadgets," of course. Microchips enable our collective pining for simpler and better times. If we're Luddites, we're selective in our particular exercise of that religion.

Myself, I favour the philosophy of the Chap magazine: "Modernity in Moderation". Sensible use of the tech we like, but just because it's available doesn't mean I have to buy into it.

I've been wearing size XL tee shirts for a few decades now, but over the last 10-15 years I've noticed they don't quite fit the same as they used to. During that time my weight has hovered around the 200 lb. mark (give or take 5 pounds) and my physique hasn't drastically changed, but new XL tee shirts I've purchased in recent years have quite a bit of excess material around the torso and less room in the shoulders. I blame it on generations much younger than myself sitting on their loathsome backsides playing video games, watching movies at home, and texting from their local coffee shops. They aren't getting any actual exercise, so their upper bodies are decreasing in muscle mass and their midsections are growing exponentially; evolution, but not in a positive direction. So clothing manufacturers around the world have been forced to change their patterns to accommodate these pudgy weaklings, and we other customers are having to figure out which sizes we wear now and adjust our purchases accordingly.

I have seen that happen, though tbh I have the opposite problem. Keep seeing nice stuff from the Far East (Bob Dong, BRonson, Buzz Rickson) which, at least when affordable, goes up to precisely one size below what would actually work for me. Not to mention the nightmare it is buying most shirts now because so many maker have gone over to skinny "tailored" fits as "regular" sizing, meaning I end up having to choose between the correct neck size but a body that won't do up, or a neck size closer to my waist measurement to fit the rest of me in. I mean, I know I'm a touch overweight but I'm merely fairly average of what I see going in and out of my chosen suppliers. Are there really that many teenagers with some sort of terrible medical problem with food buying menswear these days?

(Electric) guitar topic.

Would you say, that a thin, perfect fitting neck could be 50% of learning success?

An instrument you're comfortable with makes all the difference. Try everything, though - I can't get on with wide and shallow necks, but something narrower at the nut and nice and round in the hand works well for me. Scale length can also vary - you'll find a big difference between a Fender Telecaster (25.5" scale length), a Fender Mustang (24" from memory) and a Gibson Les Paul (24.5"). Best bet is to find a few good shops and try everything you can - you'll know the 'right' one when you feel it.

 

[Tiki Tom]

^^^^^^ “Modernity in moderation.” Thanks, I will probably use that one at some point.

 

[tonyb]

^^^^^^
All things in moderation, including moderation.

 

[Zombie_61]

...Mine have definitely shot up since it got to the point that my phone camera was good enough to produce photos as good as any dedicated snaps digital camera I might pick up...

That's definitely an issue that didn't encourage me to take photos with whichever cell phone I had at any given moment--the cameras in all of them were varying degrees of bad, so I much preferred taking photos with an actual camera (digital, usually pocket sized, etc.) which always gave better results.

 

[Tiki Tom]

^^^^^^
All things in moderation, including moderation.

Sometimes it is good to be moderately immoderate.

That's definitely an issue that didn't encourage me to take photos with whichever cell phone I had at any given moment--the cameras in all of them were varying degrees of bad, so I much preferred taking photos with an actual camera (digital, usually pocket sized, etc.) which always gave better results.

Also accounts for all those fuzzy photographs of UFOs, Bigfoot, and Nessie.

 

[Fifty150]

Also accounts for all those fuzzy photographs of UFOs, Bigfoot, and Nessie.

Those were cell phone selfies?

 

[Fifty150]

I much preferred taking photos with an actual camera (digital, usually pocket sized, etc.) which always gave better results.

Digital cameras today are leaps and bounds better than what they used to be. I remember when I got one of those credit card size cameras. Way, way, way back when...... I guess they didn't make beepers with cameras......

 

[Hercule]

Also accounts for all those fuzzy photographs of UFOs, Bigfoot, and Nessie.

I've never understood that. People take quick, well focussed photos all the time - on roller coasters, on the street etc, you name it, but there NEVER seems to be any clear photos of bigfoot, UFOs etc.!

 

[LizzieMaine]

If those photos were clearly focused you could see the strings and the seams on the puppets.

 

[Zombie_61]

Digital cameras today are leaps and bounds better than what they used to be. I remember when I got one of those credit card size cameras. Way, way, way back when...... I guess they didn't make beepers with cameras......

Several years ago while my wife and I were in the Chicago area visiting her family we discovered that our digital camera had gone belly-up. We got a heck of a deal on the new camera (with carrying case) but it's size and shape is more consistent with the older 35mm film cameras (the kind with the big cylindrical lens sticking out in front). If I had put any thought at all into the fact I'd be taking "selfies" of me wearing my newest hats I would have spent a little more and bought a smaller "point and click" digital camera.

 

[Fifty150]

I have $$$$ worth of early point and shoot digital cameras, which are now so low tech that every cell phone is better. So embarrassing. Some of them even used proprietary batteries which I can't buy anymore. 1 had it's own software on floppy disk, so I can't even load it on a modern computer. All that money wasted. A half dozen digital cameras in a box with 8 track tapes and beepers.

 

[Edward]

That's definitely an issue that didn't encourage me to take photos with whichever cell phone I had at any given moment--the cameras in all of them were varying degrees of bad, so I much preferred taking photos with an actual camera (digital, usually pocket sized, etc.) which always gave better results.

As best as I can make out, with the caveat that a digital zoom will never beat an optical one, a half decent smart phone camera these days is every bit the equal of a mass-market compact snaps camera for picture quality. The convenience of always having a camera with me is also something I love. That said, if I was going to be shooting pictures all day, there's still something to be said for having a dedicated box for that if there's any danger I'll run down the battery and discover I can't make a call when I need to. In the medium term, my plan is to stick with the phone for a casual snaps option, but buy a decent, dedicated camera I can do all sorts with for when I want to take "serious" photos. The latter I also hope to be able to pickup something that has a more old-school look - at events, it always kills the mood a little when people dressed perfectly fifties suddenly all pull out 21st century smartphones! The only shame is that so many digital cameras look great, but turn out to be either tiny or really light. I don't much trust equipment that isn't heavy!!

Digital cameras today are leaps and bounds better than what they used to be. I remember when I got one of those credit card size cameras. Way, way, way back when...... I guess they didn't make beepers with cameras......

I remember holding out until 3MP became affordable, as the advice I had was that was the minimum to get a half decent print from up to 8x10. My first cameraphone was 1MP, the next 2MP. My current phone has, from memory, 8MP in front, and 12MP in the rear. Takes very sharp images, though obvs the zoom isn't as good.

Several years ago while my wife and I were in the Chicago area visiting her family we discovered that our digital camera had gone belly-up. We got a heck of a deal on the new camera (with carrying case) but it's size and shape is more consistent with the older 35mm film cameras (the kind with the big cylindrical lens sticking out in front). If I had put any thought at all into the fact I'd be taking "selfies" of me wearing my newest hats I would have spent a little more and bought a smaller "point and click" digital camera.

The latter is mostly what I had in the past, about the size of a cassette. Now, though, I'm looking for something much more akin to the size, look and ideally weight of an old 35mm camera. The phone is perfect for the latter, though tbh handy as it is, being able to see yourself on the screen as you take it has taken a bit of the fun out of what we used to call self-takies, where you wouldn't know until they came back from the chemists if you'd even managed to get yourself in shot!

I have $$$$ worth of early point and shoot digital cameras, which are now so low tech that every cell phone is better. So embarrassing. Some of them even used proprietary batteries which I can't buy anymore. 1 had it's own software on floppy disk, so I can't even load it on a modern computer. All that money wasted. A half dozen digital cameras in a box with 8 track tapes and beepers.

That's how I, as a guitar player, finally developed some sympathy for the synth guys.

It is a pain. That said, I think we've come to a point where while better on paper will always be available, in terms of what the eye can perceive there isn't anything like the same rapidity of development as there used to be, so the cameras are in reality going obsolete the same way any more. That said, it'll be interesting to see what the lifespan entire of a quality digital camera is. I know folks still using thirties film cameras. Obviously the really cheap stuff will die early, but the high end thing, the six grand Leicas, I'll be interested to see how long those can last. A long time I would think, though inevitably digital gubbins will surely wear out faster than mechanicals?

Couldn't go back to film myself, definitely makes it far more expensive, though at some point I still want to print a lot of my photos and get them in albums.