Newspapers, Corded Phones, And Cursive
I've been doing a lot of spring cleaning this week. The one area I'm really bad about is all the paper accumulation. I don't even take the newspaper. But still, I get the coupon inserts that come free every week. I get the junk mail. I get the free community magazine that gets mailed to everyone. (It's actually written 100% by one person. He sells ads to businesses and writes "human interest stories" about the business owners.) Anyway, all that paper adds up.
You don't even notice how much you have until you're putting it all in the recycle bin and you're thinking Good God. How many coupons for dental visits are being sent out? Can there even be that many dentists?
I don't take the paper any more, in part, because I already get all the grocery coupons in the weekly mailer that everyone gets. But also, by the time a paper is written, printed, and distributed, the news is old. I'd say I, like most people, get most of my news from TV and the internet.
It's kind of like corded phones. About two years ago, when I was still working in an office, there was a company initiative to get everyone's personal information on file in case they had to be reached after hours. They wanted spouse's name and work number, cell phone, home phone, etc. I put my cell number on the form and left the home number blank. That apparently prompted a call from my boss, who had gotten a call from the district office. I explained, I don't have a corded phone. Everyone in my family carries their own cell. We don't need another phone.
You would've thought I'd said I was going to grow two heads and speak only Klingon from now on.
Know what else I don't do any more? Write in cursive. Although, to be fair, I personally don't write in cursive because my printing is much faster and much more legible. My electronic writing is faster still and way more legible. It's a practical thing.
However, I have heard that cursive is not really taught in schools any more. I guess there is just not a lot of need for it. I remember when my kids were in school, by the time they went to middle school all of their papers were written on the computer. Only those tests or projects they did in class were hand written.
And, if the Wal-Mart commercials are to be believed, apparently even grade schoolers are working from laptops in class now. Can that be right? I'm not disputing the fact that kids could, should, and do learn to use computers as young as they possibly can. I think that's a good thing. It just seems very expensive.
You don't even notice how much you have until you're putting it all in the recycle bin and you're thinking Good God. How many coupons for dental visits are being sent out? Can there even be that many dentists?
I don't take the paper any more, in part, because I already get all the grocery coupons in the weekly mailer that everyone gets. But also, by the time a paper is written, printed, and distributed, the news is old. I'd say I, like most people, get most of my news from TV and the internet.
It's kind of like corded phones. About two years ago, when I was still working in an office, there was a company initiative to get everyone's personal information on file in case they had to be reached after hours. They wanted spouse's name and work number, cell phone, home phone, etc. I put my cell number on the form and left the home number blank. That apparently prompted a call from my boss, who had gotten a call from the district office. I explained, I don't have a corded phone. Everyone in my family carries their own cell. We don't need another phone.
You would've thought I'd said I was going to grow two heads and speak only Klingon from now on.
Know what else I don't do any more? Write in cursive. Although, to be fair, I personally don't write in cursive because my printing is much faster and much more legible. My electronic writing is faster still and way more legible. It's a practical thing.
However, I have heard that cursive is not really taught in schools any more. I guess there is just not a lot of need for it. I remember when my kids were in school, by the time they went to middle school all of their papers were written on the computer. Only those tests or projects they did in class were hand written.
And, if the Wal-Mart commercials are to be believed, apparently even grade schoolers are working from laptops in class now. Can that be right? I'm not disputing the fact that kids could, should, and do learn to use computers as young as they possibly can. I think that's a good thing. It just seems very expensive.
posted by Patwoman | 10:36 PM
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