SO TWENTIETH CENTURY

I hope I don’t make anybody mad with this post, but I probably will.

As I started getting older, I made three pledges to myself. I would never quit listening to rock music, I would wear the latest fashion trends to the extent that I could, and I would keep up with technology and new products.

As far as music goes, I have flipped to modern country and become an official Jimmy Buffett fan (a parrot head). I don’t identify with Top 40 any longer. Modern country has become more like 80s rock. Have you listened to Rascal Flatts lately? So, I’m modern country and classic rock. That’s a little bit of a switch, but at least I haven’t gone to Streisand and Manilow.

For fashion, if I can wear it, I do. If I can’t I don’t. I am glad that most clothing items contain at least 1% spandex.

Next comes technology/new products, something near and dear to my heart. I don’t have a flat screen TV, but that may change soon and I mean real soon. My TV in the living room is not working this morning. Not being a big TV watcher, I’m putting off TV purchases until I absolutely have to and that may be this afternoon. However, if I don’t have flat screen TVs, it affects no one but me.

Just as soon as cell phones became affordable, I bought one. It was a portable and a little heavy, but I thought I was hot stuff. Most of my friends did not have them or had one of those bag phones. Eventually everybody got one and I know of very few folks that don’t have them. With my cell phones, I have had text messaging for several years. I didn’t use it much initially, but now I couldn’t live without it. However, only a handful of friends have it and most turn their nose up at text messaging. There are times when a simple text is sufficient to communicate. Why waste time calling and talking when you can text? With cell phones, you can store numbers through your contact list, set up speed dials, and take advantage of voice recognition to make calls. Not long ago, I observed a friend calling her next-door neighbor by punching in the number. I asked her didn’t she have Dot’s number in her contact list and on speed dial. The friend retorted that she didn’t know how to do all that. So every time my friend makes a call, she punches in the numbers. The only time I punch in a number is when I’m calling someone that I don’t know for the first time.

Another friend of mine only has a work email and refuses to purchase a home computer system so he can have a personal email or check his work email on the weekends. He has a cell phone, but won’t get text messaging. If he needs to tell someone something, he just calls them. He doesn’t care if he’s connected or not.

I recently upgraded to a blackberry where I can check my email and get on the Internet. I’ll probably upgrade out of that blackberry in due time. Now I can’t imagine not having instant access to my email and being able to get on the Internet when I’m away from my computers. The same friend who punches in numbers on her cell phone recently made comment that all she wants out of her cell phone is to make calls. That’s so twentieth century!

I quit taking the newspaper years ago and haven’t watched that evening news or the 10:00 news in years. Why do you need to? Reading the newspaper and scheduling around broadcast news is so twentieth century.

Something else, I’m being “green”. Trees are being saved since I don’t take the newspaper. Uh-oh! I’m not into being “green”. I want my carbon footprint to be as large as possible. Should I subscribe to the newspaper or perhaps several newspapers? Nay.

So as I get older along with everyone else on the planet, I listen to music I like, wear clothes that make me feel good without making too many fashion errors, and stay up to date with technology to the extent my wallet will allow it. Would someone 19 years old call me an “old fogey”? Probably. Do I care? No. Do I wish some of my friends would get out of the twentieth century? That would be nice.

A COUPLE OF DAYS IN THE USA

After the alarm went off this morning, I turned on the light and the TV with Fox and Friends on. My kitty, Twister, was right beside me. They ran a story about findings that dogs and cats have rather large carbon footprints. In fact their carbon footprints, in some cases, rival that of evil SUVs. As a result, environmentalists are recommending that if you own dogs and/or cats, get rid of them and get a pet that you can eventually eat. Suggestions for pets included chickens or rabbits.

Well, rabbits are cute and cuddly; they are generally kept in cages outside. They’re probably affectionate, but can they be potty trained and kept in the house? Chickens generally go to the bathroom anywhere. Can chickens be potty trained? I kind of doubt it. Also, I don’t think I could eat a rabbit or even a chicken after having them as pets for a while. I never met the chicken that I bought at the grocery store earlier and that’s just fine with me.

Now this is just silly and I laughed my head off. Of course, what’s not ridiculous these days? What do the environmentalists suggest that you do with your CO2 emitting canine or feline? PETA may not be too cool with this. Maybe the environmentalists and PETA can battle it out and beat each other down.

In Washington, one of the current president’s top economic advisors has indicated that the stimulus package implemented by the house, senate, and the current president has probably done most of what it’s going to do and will do very little in 2010. Talk about a major boondoggle? What a flop!

Healthcare reform gives me such a headache that I don’t want to write about it. Besides, there are plenty of other folks out there giving their opinions. Speaking of headaches, I wonder if I’ll still be allowed to get my migraine medicine if healthcare reform passes. The current president will probably suggest that I just take a couple of aspirins. Yea, right!

An Award I Didn't Deserve

A number of years ago I received an award from an organization that I belong to that I really didn't deserve. I took no pleasure in it and don't display it. I have received some other awards that I felt I deserved and I proudly display those.

I'm wondering if the current President is really taking pleasure in his Nobel Peace Prize that he knows he didnt' deserve.