I just saw what stupidity this world has come to.

[Kesephist]

Yeah, kids these days have nothing to do outside their phones. We had a rule, no electronics during meals. It had to be enforced. Now, they're all adults. So, last couple yrs, everybody is over for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. Still have to enforce. After the meal, everyone, including my wife, is on their phones. I'm left sitting in silence, as i'm the only one who thought these holidays were a family social get together.

I break out the rum, bourbon, etc. Later, "all you did was sit there and get drunk". Yeah, I had time to get drunk before you noticed I was drinking. Maybe if I wasn't essentially sitting by myself on Christmas day, that wouldn't have happened.

There is a webcomic called "Schlock Mercenery" set in the 30th century. One of their pet indisposable devices is a thing called a 'handbrain'. It very closely reminds me of a cellphone on steroids.

I've mentioned a rather stupid National Geographic tv movie called "American Blackout" ( https://youtu.be/aNx8UHteFUU , if you really desire to waste the 88 minutes.) Watching the truly cell-addicted go through withdrawal, first as the cells come down, then as the actual phones start to die, would be almost amusing. Except that, as with any other junkie, they are most dangerous when they've missed their fix, and will do anything to get it.

I have a flipphone, and get regularly sniggered at by the kids. My usual reply is "Nice manners. Your mom must have a loud bark." (Thanks, Sgt. Friday.) I DO spend a bit of time talking to a fellow prepper in (location undisclosed by request). But none of this other foolery., and nowhere near as absorbed.

And I have heard that the AMA is considering codifying diagnoses and treatment for CCS... cellular cervical scoliosis. People are spending so much time hunkered over their cells it's damaging their neck vertebrae.

I'd heard, too, that some outfit was coming up with a dock you could put cell in, which would take over a great deal of computing power of the unit, to convert it back to its original form: a wireless phone...the catch being with this dock, you do not need a cell, but the dock IS the cell, and the computing power being taken over used to make a very powerful directional and verbal encryption with other docked phones. Something actually USEFUL, from a comms POV.

Hunting season out here... the locals have a "leave cells at camp/home" rule... so as not to scare off the game with an untimely Bakelite Bell ring tone or some such.

Alexander Graham Bell would either be laughing his 6 off, or PO'ed like a bull buffalo with only other other bulls around, at the shape of what has happened to his device.

[orangetom1999]

Prefer to keep my 2 meter/70 CM two way radio with me ...and spare batteries. If I need more range at work I go to the roof of our 85 foot tall building.

On he road I have a Hf radio as well as VHF/UHF and have talked to Russia and New Zealand from my Truck while waiting in the parking lot of the local grocery store.

Often speak with my friend who recently retired and moved to Tennessee...from here..some 400 miles away and from my base station Ham radio here at the house....no phone calls. The other night we chatted for some 40 minutes before ceding the frequency to other hams who meet on a schedule.
If we need to continue talking we find a clear unused frequency and shift to there...and give up the frequency we were on to other hams for their scheduled meetings. No problem...just simple courtesy and respect.


It is not a phone but I like it better as I can also get AM/FM radio bands on it...as well as all the short wave broadcasting bands and Single Side Band as well.

Phones are convenient...very convenient and natural to tie the phone into the computer systems. But these are complex systems and if any one of several systems go down...you have nothing.

Two way radio I operate at my discretion ..not at the governments discretion....and my power source is independent of them...too.

I keep several car and deep cycle batteries around here as alternate power sources for my radios as well as make my own antennas for my systems.

I also keep several batteries as spares for my simple flip phone.

As a ham ..operating out in the field you become acutely aware of the need for spare batteries.

I also keep five AA type batteries in my pocket for my Mag Light. Buy these by the 40 pack.


Just some things you learn about independent operation.

I like the convenience of the cell phone but am wary of becoming dependent on it.

I will not get a cell phone for which I cannot remove the battery at my discretion...and or replace with a fresh one. Someone did not design the non replaceable battery to help us.




Thanks,
Orangetom

Not an Ishmaelite

[Kesephist]

Part and parcel, I suspect, why these external rechargable battery packs and aa/aaa-to-cell adapters are making such a success story of themselves.