The Mindset Lists

[HudsonHawk]

There's nothing wrong with being a curmudgeon. A curmudgeon merely sees society, or some particular aspect of society for what it actually is, not what its apologists pretend it is. Great curmudgeons thru the ages have included the likes of Ambrose Bierce, Fred Allen, H. L. Mencken, Dorothy Parker, Cleveland Amory, and the author of the Bible book of Ecclesiastes. Pretty decent company.

Signed,
A Curmudgienne.

With all due respect, I now have this image of you as Lucy Van Pelt, showing off her award as Outstanding Fussbudget of Hennepin County.

 

[fashion frank]

We always had a phone in our house, but only one. It was in the hallway, mounted to the wall, and had a LONG cord attached from the base to the handset so that you could walk around the entire house, room to room and the cord would still reach. Mom could stand outside in the front yard with the cord stretched out the door. For that reason, my parents didn't get a cordless phone until about 3 years ago.

I can remember just what your stating here.

What really makes me chuckle is when the phone rang and if it was anybody who was calling from out of state you would hear " yea so and so is on the phone and he's calling long distance like it was a big deal because IT WAS!
Nowadays just about every cell phone has a free long distance feature anyway.

I remember back in the 1980's when "cordless (not cell) phones " came out , it
was Sunday dinner at my Grandma's house and my uncle who lived upstairs from my grandma was out in the driveway trying out his new cordless phone and my
grandma asked my other uncle what my uncle was doing out in the driveway and my uncle said to her " ma he's on the phone " .
Well my grandma just kept pointing to the old wall phone in her kitchen and
stated ," how can he be on the phone the phone IS IN HERE"!

All the Best ,Fashion Frank

 

[HudsonHawk]

I can remember just what your stating here.

What really makes me chuckle is when the phone rang and if it was anybody who was calling from out of state you would hear " yea so and so is on the phone and he's calling long distance like it was a big deal because IT WAS!
Nowadays just about every cell phone has a free long distance feature anyway.

I remember back in the 1980's when "cordless (not cell) phones " came out , it
was Sunday dinner at my Grandma's house and my uncle who lived upstairs from my grandma was out in the driveway trying out his new cordless phone and my
grandma asked my other uncle what my uncle was doing out in the driveway and my uncle said to her " ma he's on the phone " .
Well my grandma just kept pointing to the old wall phone in her kitchen and
stated ," how can he be on the phone the phone IS IN HERE"!

All the Best ,Fashion Frank

At some point, we replaced the phone from one with the dial on the base to one with the dial on the handset (in orange, no less). That meant you could drag the phone with you and keep your finger on the button to close the hook. Now when you needed to make a call or it would ring, you didn't have to get up. You just had to be careful not to trip people walking through the house. Progress.

 

[Stray Cat]

In the US the phone line technology itself still more or less works the same way it did 100 years ago, only the phones themselves and the way they connect to the system have changed. That means that the old phones still work perfectly fine, even if they do require more manual labor to operate. But it probably won't be long before it goes the way you describe.

It's the New Age.. and changes are killing my lifestyle: first the phones got "digital", than TV's got "digital".. I fear one day I'll walk down the street to my local grocery, and someone will snatch away my newspaper, stating it's no longer usable, and shove some "digital" version of into my life! :bad:

What really makes me chuckle is when the phone rang and if it was anybody who was calling from out of state you would hear " yea so and so is on the phone and he's calling long distance like it was a big deal because IT WAS!

Long distance was HUGE.
Expensive, yet so amazing.. when you go to school and tell your fiends "My aunt called - from Sweden" They ask "LONG distance?!" And with the amazing joy I got to answer "M-hmmm!"
So, I'm adding that to my Mindset list. :nod:

 

[LizzieMaine]

Around here, the correct phrase was always "SHUT UP! I'm on LONG DISTANCE!"

 

[Stray Cat]

Around here, the correct phrase was always "SHUT UP! I'm on LONG DISTANCE!"

..and after you finish the LONG DISTANCE call, you'd call all those "close" people to let them know.
Oh, and not to forget "Do not call me this afternoon, we are expecting LONG DISTANCE call"
Those were the days! eace:

 

[R.G. White]

This tread reminds me of the AT&T (I think) commercials with all the thirteen year olds telling they're younger siblings how "different" things were in "their" time, and how "kids these days have it so easy!" I love those ads. It's true though, things are changing at an incredible rate!

I practice cursive with my ten year-old nephew (by the way, he was taught it in school, but I'm not certain how much they went into it). I make it fun by letting him use my dip or fountain pen; he finds them vastly amusing.
I hear a lot of complaining from people my age (I'm 19) about how difficult cursive is to read, but if you ask me they're just lazy and simply outright refuse to even try reading it because it "looks" too hard. It's amazing how capable you are of doing certain things if you actually put the tiniest bit of effort forth shakeshead. I could read copies of the Declaration of Independence when I was twelve. At almost twenty, there isn't much of reason why you shouldn't be able to read simple grade-school cursive. The letters look virtually the same as they do in print. And yeah, sometimes you have to read a few lines of someone's writing to get the hang of it, but our brains are made to recognize patterns and fill in the blanks, so eventually you're going to figure it out.
I learned cursive in the second grade (2001-2002) and though in the third grade I wasn't forced to use it, I switched schools the next year and was made to until middle school. By that time, I was used to it and it stuck. To this day my print takes some concentration, whereas cursive is second nature! So maybe I just got lucky.

Also, the same nephew asked me about 9/11 a few months ago. I was seven when that happened, but remember everything perfectly and was not sheltered at all from any of it. It was a very strange sensation to explain a historical event, which I'd "witnessed," to someone who hadn't even been born yet. I was very pleased though to hear how it made him feel; he was watching videos on youtube of the towers burning and falling and it really made him angry. It was nice to see that he realize the seriousness of what happened and didn't just shrug it off like it was no big deal.

 

[sheeplady]

What about reversing the charges on a call and calling collect?

Last time I reversed the charges on a call was in 1999.

 

[Touchofevil]

20-somethings...yes. But it hasn't been taught in schools for a while, so it's a 50/50 bet that a high schooler can, and almost certain that anyone in the 9th grade or younger cannot. It will not be long until it's common in the working world.

Cursive is still taught in elementary schools around here although many seem to forget or use it in some sort of butchered form as they get older.

 

[Stray Cat]

And yeah, sometimes you have to read a few lines of someone's writing to get the hang of it, but our brains are made to recognize patterns and fill in the blanks, so eventually you're going to figure it out.

Cursive is basically the same is typed lettering, only thing "different" is that when writing cursive, you join your letters and give them loops .

Cursive is still taught in elementary schools around here although many seem to forget or use it in some sort of butchered form as they get older.

Why is that?
To me, it is (still, and will remain) easier to write cursive, it's also faster. [huh]
..and the letters turn out nicer. :nod:

 

[penates]

I learned Palmer method cursive writing in grade school and use it to this day when writing for myself. One of my co-workers saw some of my notes and asked me where I learned Arabic.

 

[Stray Cat]

I learned Palmer method cursive writing in grade school and use it to this day when writing for myself. One of my co-workers saw some of my notes and asked me where I learned Arabic.

Palmer?
That's great!
I'm doing somewhat the same (just: Cyrilic alphabet).
Actually, I'm alvays reffering to The Palmer method for Business writing on Archive.org

...but for someone to call it Arabic.. seriosly?! :eeek:

 

[Shangas]

Y'know it occurred to me...kids these days probably would have no relation or understanding of the term "film".

They live in an age of digital everything. The days of old film-reels for stills cameras and movie-projectors and all that, are probably well out of their memories. When I was a kid, I remember having to send negatives to the chemist to have them developed, and such. And then going back to pick up the pictures, and finding out how crappy half of them turned out.

 

[HudsonHawk]

Why is that?
To me, it is (still, and will remain) easier to write cursive, it's also faster. [huh]
..and the letters turn out nicer. :nod:

It's seen as an unnecessary skill that takes up time that could be used to teach useful skills.

 

[HudsonHawk]

I learned Palmer method cursive writing in grade school and use it to this day when writing for myself. One of my co-workers saw some of my notes and asked me where I learned Arabic.

I've been trying to learn some Arabic, which I think is an absolutely beautiful written language.

 

[fashion frank]

What about reversing the charges on a call and calling collect?

Last time I reversed the charges on a call was in 1999.

Do you remember when you would try to avoid getting the long distance call charge and the line we used to use went something like this " call us when you get there ,but just let it ring once and then hang up and we'll know it was you and that you got home safely " , crap nowadays you get a text message ( which I refuse to read or send, I don't do text )

All the Best ,Fashion Frank

 

[Feraud]

I remember using the "ring once" method.
Texting has it's place. I have a 19 year old and when he is travelling with friends I request he keep his mom and I informed of his plans. Simple texts like- "we're here, leaving now, be home in an hour" means peace of mind to parents. It's a heck of a lot easier than carrying around quarters and having to find a phone booth.

 

[fashion frank]

I remember using the "ring once" method.

Texting has it's place. Simple texts like- "we're here, leaving now, be home in an hour" means peace of mind to parents. It's a heck of a lot easier than carrying around quarters and having to find a phone booth.

Yea I have to give you that ,the peace of mind is priceless.

I always tell my 18 year old " I'm glad you sent me a text me but you know I don't text and its not cause I'm an old fart , but rather the fact that I would like to hear your voice.

All the Best ,Fashion Frank

 

[Touchofevil]

Cursive is basically the same is typed lettering, only thing "different" is that when writing cursive, you join your letters and give them loops .


Why is that?
To me, it is (still, and will remain) easier to write cursive, it's also faster. [huh]
..and the letters turn out nicer. :nod:

I am not sure why it falls by the wayside, but there is probably more than one reason. It does seem that many of those who do not type, write in all capital letters for which they are told that is not acceptable.

 

[Stray Cat]

It does seem that many of those who do not type, write in all capital letters for which they are told that is not acceptable.

To me, signing one's name must be done in cursive.
I've seen documents belonging to people who's signature is written in print letters. And I kept wondering: could it be that he's illiterate?! (Old-fashioned me.. thinking that if you can't write cursive, you can't write AT ALL) :doh: Since, when I was a kid writing in print meant you left school before you could pick up more than just print lettering. [huh]
..times did change Mr. Touchofevil, did they not? For teachers, too?