The Changing Techno-Face of Society

I remember a time, not so very long ago when people went to a bar tavern or restaurant to socialize with their friends. Now they come with their I pads and I phones and the like so that they can sit amongst other people and play their private games in public. This is confusing to me. The other day I asked a friend what they were doing all of the time with their smart phone. She told me that she used it to check on the weather. Really, let me see, we have had over 80 days this summer over 100 degrees, yesterday was 106, the day before was 104 and they need to check the weather. It's fucking hot, it's been fucking hot and will probably stay hot with a chance for cooler temperatures as the fall and winter set in. For this you need a smart phone to check the weather. Well you must be pretty fucking dumb. Another friend constantly complains about his I-Phone and what it is costing him per month. I asked him why doesn't he just get a cheaper old school 'dumb' cell phone? He replied that he likes to use the navigation ap when he goes out of town. Then I pointed out that he hasn't been out of town in over a year so he was spending over $1200.00 per year in connection fees to own a several hundred dollar phone to use an application that only applies to him going out of town which he never does. The real answer is image control. Everyone wants everyone else to think that they are state of the art even if they have no use for the gadget. A year ago, my wife and I bought a new 'used pickup truck, it doesn't have GPS or WiFi or cruise control or power windows. We have to know were we are going, or not really care, we have no use for WiFi in our truck or anywhere else for that matter. If we want to cruise down the highway, we put our foot down on the accelerator and leave it there and if we want to roll down the window, we don't push a button, we use a crank. Now I realize that I am using technology to vent my feeling out into cyberland but I am using a three year old computer and as I don't have voice recognition software, I am still typing my thoughts out on a computer. The next time you go out to a bar or restaurant, try leaving technology behind and try talking to someone before we all forget how.

Technology Spoil Us

The other day I was having a conversation with some friends and the subject of traveling and getting lost came up. I commented that back in the mid 1970's I lived in Nevada and we would frequently have people call in to the airport that they were lost. They were usually from one of the flater central states of the U.S. and thought that flying through the mountains would be easy. Wrong, very quickly, one mountain looks just like another. Anyway, we would ask them to describe what they saw, we would then figure out where they were. We woulf tell them to fly in circles and one of us would fly out to their location and lead them back to the airport. One of the young people in the conversation then innocently asked me, "Well why didn't they just turn on their GPS and follow that. I pointed out that GPS was not invented for another twenty five years or so. She looked stunned. Just because it exists today doesn't mean it existed forever. Peace and love 'til later.

Billy and the Commune

I am in the process of writing a new play titled 'Billy and the Commune'. It is the story of a young, very sheltered gentleman from Abilene, Texas who goes to New York City in the very early spring of 1968. Through a series of misfortunes, he finds himself living in a hippie commune in the city and experiences life first hand. He is so enamoured of this new lifestyle that he brings his equally sheltered finance up to the city to experience life for herself. I will bring you updates as the play progresses. Peace and love till later.

Technology Will Ruin Us All

A good friend of mine is currently undergoing Tech withdrawal. The battery on her laptop has died, ergo, no inernet and she left her phone charger for her i-phone in Houston, so she has no cell phone use. She has to actually talk on her house phone. Oh the humanity. I fully realize that you are reading this blog through the advances of technology but I also realize that if I can't get online for a day or two or a week, who cares. Same with my cell phone. All it does is make and receive phone calls, how archaic is that. I remember a day when computers were the size of rooms and used funny cards with holes punched in them and your phone was wired to the wall. It was really cool if you had a long phone cord and could get 12 feet away from the wall. Mail also came once a day from the mailman. Peace and love till later.

Shit Is In The Eye Of The Beholder

Last week I was having a visit with a friend of mine and we began talking abouty our past. It seems that he and his first wife were from a very small town somewhere in Texas. He went on to relate that they got married in the winter of 1966 and continued to live there while he looked for a perminent job. In March of 1967 he found a job in California. Both of their families warned them of the dangers of California. There were "crazy people" living out there that just weren't right. Be very carefull they were told. They packed up their few belongings and headed of to San Francisco, California. When they arrived, they rented a room at a boarding house accross the street from Golden Gate Park. Honestly, In 1967, could there be a better place to be living. The story continues... He told me that a few nights after they moved in, there was a knock on their door. Upon opening the door they found one of the hippies that lived next to them, inviting them over to his apartment to join him in smoking some "really good shit" that he had just recieved. He looked at his wife who was staring at him in disbelief. They both thought that they had been invited over to smoke some manure. They immediately declined the gracious offer. The people back home were right! These people just weren't right. With the passage of time and a little street-wise education, they discovered what "good shit" really was. Peace and love 'til later.

Barack Brings Woodstock To Washington

Yesterday while watching the inauguration of the 44th President of these United States I could not help but think of Woodstock when during the swearing in of the president, the camera panned out to show a view of the mall showing a crowd of a reported 1.9 million people. The scene immediately brought back images of the crowd scenes of Woodstock forty years earlier. The people present possessed the same hope for a better future as did the Woodstock attendees. The only differences were the music, drugs, sex and degree of nudity. Of course,the temperature was in the twenties which may have had something to do with this. In fact, some of the people may well have been at both activities. I can only hope and pray that President Obama can bring about the changes that the country desperately needs. Of course if he can do all of this, he will also be found jogging on the Potomac River. I sincerely hope that our politicians with the guidance of our new President can fix the many problems that face our country. I wish you peace and love until later.

A Rough Way to Loose Weight

While I have been on quest to loose weight. I cannot reccommend the method that I followed. On October 12th, 2008 I suffered a stroke due to a cerebral hemmorage. I was making my wife some granola when the stroke hit my left arm and I thought to myself that this isn't good, washed my hands and walked over to the kitchen table and called for my wife. She called an ambulance and off to the hospital I went. The stroke left me paralyzed on my left side. After almost seven weeks in the hospital I returned home to find that I had lost almost 110 pounds since starting my diet in March. A hell of a way to loose weight. I am currently undergoing physical therapy a couple times a week and am slowly regaining use of my left side. Still having to type with only my right hand witch is a real bitch. Anyway, I hope you are all doing well and peace and love till later.