Complications....

**Rich Z** · 05-27-2009, 03:21 AM

Is it just me, or is the world just getting too complicated? I remember my grandfather telling me when I was a kid that the world is getting so much more complicated then when he was a kid. Now that was back in the 50s or so when he was telling me this. And I just laughed at him not understanding, of course, what he was talking about.

Now, I walk into a grocery store and it is baffling to walk down even the cereal aisle. Good lord! You could spend your entire LIFE just trying all the different varieties of Cheerios. When I was a kid, there was maybe four different types of cereal all total. How many brands and varieties of toothpaste and soap are there? I wanted to buy some new shampoo, but I couldn't recognize most of the stuff that the labels said were in the bottles. Do I really want something based on avocados on my hair? Or aloe? Or how about this one for extra body or that one for "natural" hair, or that one that is guaranteed 100 percent organic?

I bought a new watch a few months ago. Came with a manual that I have since lost. I don't know how to work it now. It has more buttons on it than a cell phone and no clues about which one does what. That's what the manual is for. So now I have to have a watch that I need to carry a manual around in my hip pocket in case I want to do anything other than just look at the time on it....

Heck the other day I was looking at Best Buy ads and saw that the latest camcorders have embedded GPS capability. So I'm sitting there at the kitchen counter feeling lost because I can't think of a damned reason at all why I would want GPS in my camcorder. And I felt inadequate at my loss of comprehension.

I'm sorry that I laughed at you grandpop..........

Mark Dalton · 05-27-2009, 01:00 PM

It's definitely more complicated than ever. Even in my business (hardware) it's no joy ride. Someone comes in and asks to see plumbing parts. I used to show them a pipe wrench and some duck tape. Now they have to look through 4 aisles of plumbing parts to fix a leaky sink. It's all about choices now. What size, color, shape, material, price range, etc. AHHHH!!

thebeepster · 05-27-2009, 01:33 PM

Yup...remember when telephones were just for talking? I recently replaced my cell phone and all I wanted was to make and receive calls....no music, no text messaging, no camera,no blueteeth, no blackberries, no nothing except good ole voice communication. Couldn't find a phone that just talks and listens....

jcb_njb · 05-27-2009, 03:29 PM

Man, what you guys say is soooooo true.

Mark Dalton · 05-27-2009, 04:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thebeepster

Yup...remember when telephones were just for talking? I recently replaced my cell phone and all I wanted was to make and receive calls....no music, no text messaging, no camera,no blueteeth, no blackberries, no nothing except good ole voice communication. Couldn't find a phone that just talks and listens....

Tin cans and string might still work??

You're right though. It seems as if you can't buy any electronic device without paying for features you don't need.

85vette · 05-27-2009, 04:22 PM

It's all about the competition for your money. The companies can not be satisfied with selling you the things you need, they have to market items that you just have to have. They will not be outdone, more is better! New, shiny, hi-tech gadgets are the craze, whether it goes in your car, or it's just a cell phone. Look at the TV commercials! they spend a gazillion dollars a year showing you stuff on TV that you can't live without! ShamWow....Enzyte...Viagra....and quality is the last concern. And the dumps get fuller! I remember the good old days. I didn't live in a house with air conditioning until I was 13 years old. And now it kills me to walk out the door to go to the A/C in the car when it's 98 degrees outside?! Your Grandpa was right....and it's getting worse.

floridaZ · 05-28-2009, 01:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rich Z

I bought a new watch a few months ago. Came with a manual that I have since lost. I don't know how to work it now. It has more buttons on it than a cell phone and no clues about which one does what. That's what the manual is for. So now I have to have a watch that I need to carry a manual around in my hip pocket in case I want to do anything other than just look at the time on it....

If you truly had a problem with over complication, why would you want to do more with a watch than see the time?

Ms. AntiVenom · 05-28-2009, 01:55 AM

I totally understand, I talk about it allot now
We had to get up to turn the channel, we had 4, now I have a few hundred, walking a few miles every morning to get to the bus stop, Just little things like that. Im around all of these kids that just cant live without dvd players in the car and video games.

This world is getting on my nerves, Im just not use to it, I like going to the swamp once a month now and stare at garr to remember what I came from. Spending a few days roaming around the woods on a dark reservation will always remind you real quick.

**Rich Z** · 05-28-2009, 02:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by floridaZ

If you truly had a problem with over complication, why would you want to do more with a watch than see the time?

Because I bought the watch for the "complications" of having an alarm and a calculator on it. But I can't figure out how those functions work on this one. My previous watch is an earlier version from the same company (Casio), and there were only two function buttons to worry about.

There is a saying that any sufficiently advanced technology will appear as magic to someone who doesn't understand how it works. I guess when I start thinking that what I am seeing is actually magic is when I will know I am a lost cause....

Jake_Dragon · 05-30-2009, 07:01 AM

Try working with computers for a living.