This is why I detest modern technology....

[azurbanclucker]

P.T. Barnum would have LOVED to have social media as a tool. All I'm sayin'.

 

[gtaus]

I'd have to think seriously about the idea of the automatic transmitting device you described. Something like that would be intriguing, to say the least. There are some serious philosophical considerations to ponder, for sure. But it would probably save a lot of heartache and tragedy.

I think if the medical bracelet transmitting device only broadcast to approved first responders who have been trained on privacy issues, it might work. Maybe only a short distance transmission type of thing. Having said that, I'm sure someone would be interested in hacking the system to gain access to personal data. But we already have that problem on our computer mainframes as witnessed by all the bandits holding a company's data for ransom. I don't think anything is 100% safe from people with bad intentions.

 

[Aunt Angus]

So.... what job haven't you done, @gtaus?
Lol
You are a person of many talents, my friend.

 

[gtaus]

So.... what job haven't you done, @gtaus?
Lol
You are a person of many talents, my friend.

In some ways I feel fortunate to have had a number of good jobs. I have been in the service, a teacher, nursing, and now not doing much of anything and loving it. On the other hand, my dad had a career in teaching that lasted over 30 years. I think there are some benefits to having a career that spans decades. I just loved to travel when I was younger and doing different things and learning new skills was very important to me. I don't think I have the personality that would have ever allowed me to stay in one position for 30+ years like my dad and many men of his generation.

I have kept my nursing license current, but am in no hurry to get back into the hospital setting with COVID wings full of sick patients. We have had some health concerns and I would never forgive myself if I brought COVID home. We have both been fully vaccinated, and I trust that will help. But still there are breakthrough cases and if you have an immunocompromised system, you might not survive COVID.

Unfortunately, our local hospital COVID wing is full mostly of unvaccinated patients. Last week there were 37 COVID patients; 35 unvaccinated and 2 vaccinated. The hospital's screen saver on all their computers shows a graph of the COVID situation and how many people are unvaccinated and the few that are vaccinated. I don't wish COVID on anybody. People who refuse to get the vaccination are putting themselves, and others, at a much higher risk of bad outcomes. That is not a political statement, just a fact as evidenced by our hospital admissions and subsequent outcomes. The numbers don't lie.

rant coming up, maybe a bit political but should not be....

It's interesting that my relatives who are all into Facebook are the most likely not to get vaccinated for COVID. Since I don't do Facebook, I really don't know specifically what they are reading. But I hear lots of treatment options from them instead of getting the vaccination. Really? When did approved vaccinations become such a political statement? I'll blame modern tech and social platforms like Facebook and Twitter, etc... that continue to allow misinformation to spread.

I have had 3 people in my extended family that have gotten COVID. That was prior to the vaccination was even available. 1 died, 1 recovered, and 1 recovered but still has lingering issues with taste and smell affected. On the news tonight, I heard that we just went over 750,000 dead in the USA due to COVID complications. I wish they would tell us how many of those who died were unvaccinated versus how many died fully vaccinated. From talking to floor nurses I know still fighting the battle, vaccinations save lives.

 

[Folly's place]

Yes on all counts!
I hear the most amazing 'reasons' to avoid vaccinations from some family members, and just don't understand. And we are 'selfish' because we won't get together with them for holiday dinners. Totally backward , IMO. And so sad.
Mary

 

[Aunt Angus]

Yeah, it's a touchy subject where I live. But, yes, certainly another knock against social media. There is a lot of info floating around in online communities - some of it good, some of it not-so-good, and some of it downright dangerous.

My son says that there have also been idiots and wackos out there, in many cases isolated on the fringe, but social media helped them find each other and amplified their voices.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Yes on all counts!
I hear the most amazing 'reasons' to avoid vaccinations from some family members, and just don't understand. And we are 'selfish' because we won't get together with them for holiday dinners. Totally backward , IMO. And so sad.
Mary

I have family members who refuse to be anywhere near me because I'm vaccinated, and i will make them infertile. I gave neighbors and students who are convinced im somehow magnetic now???? Id not heard that one before. Another said I'll be dead in 50 years because the vaccine is poison. I'm like, I'll be dead in 50 years anyway, so....

 

[cmom]

I agree with most that I have read so far. I haven't read this whole thread yet but have it bookmarked. I don't do social media. My world is mostly BYC for a little while in the mornings before I go out to do my daily chores. My bank went to mobile deposit so I too was forced into getting a smartphone. Previously I had a cheap flip phone for emergency use which is what I have the smartphone for too. I don't carry it on me and only take it if I'm going off of the property in case I need it to call home or for emergencies.

 

[Folly's place]

I don't bank on mine, but carry it with me all the time, especially when I'm outside on the farm. Accidents happen, and it's a little extra security in my pocket.
Mary

 

[gtaus]

... I had a cheap flip phone for emergency use which is what I have the smartphone for too. I don't carry it on me and only take it if I'm going off of the property in case I need it to call home or for emergencies.

Dear Wife had a flip phone when they came out. She had it mainly for emergencies and hardly ever used it. It was a simple Tracfone and you bought plans sold by the minute. But over the years it accumulated lots of unused minutes. I think I paid about $10 every 3 months. Not bad for an emergency phone.

She moved to a smart phone a number of years ago. So I got the flip phone with unused minutes. The original company with the flip phone plan had gone out of business and had been bought out by another company. Well, I never continued to pay the quarterly $10 fee with the new company. For whatever reason(s), they left the service turned on for almost 3 more years before they closed my account. So that old flip phone was my emergency phone during that time.

A few months ago my USAA bank required us to deposit checks via smartphone app. So I ended up dumping my $30 per month landline phone and Dear Wife bought me a Tracfone smartphone from QVC for $80 for 1 year of service and 1500 mins, 1500 texts, and 1.5 GB data. Based on my normal phone usage, that should last me all year. I expect to now save about $280 a year by cancelling my landline and going with the low usage Tracfone. I don't need unlimited anything at this time.

I bought a vest to wear under my jacket/coat so I can carry the phone with me hands free when outside working in the yard. I typically listen to audiobooks or recorded radio programs that are on my smartphone. I use my Bluetooth work headphones while working outside, on the lawn mower, chipping wood, etc...

For me, moving to a Tracfone smartphone added more flexibility and actually saved me money. So I cannot detest modern tech for those benefits. My life is not centered around my smartphone, but it is a good tool. I still pay for internet service, so I can access the internet on my cellphone via my home wifi network. Some of my family members use Messenger so I can call them and talk for longer periods of time without eating up my Tracfone call minutes. Works great when I'm at home and can access the home wifi.