OT: DST

[nailshooter41]

I am a hands on kind of guy. I was literally one of the first few hundred that had a cell phone in San Antonio back when they were simple repeaters, somewhere around 1979 - 80. They weren't actually cell phones at all, but radios tapped into a switching module on a tower. It was truck mount only. The calls were so expensive that I never gave anyone my number, but carried a pager as well so I could be found.

Later, I had a commission only gig selling and monitoring interim financing loans for a SnL. I stepped up to voice pager, but my territory was so large I got my own phone ($300 each month for service, and the phone was about $1500) and would drive to the top of a hill and pull over so I could get decent reception. These weren't really cell phones either, but two way radio repeaters.

I went with McCaw, and bought blocks of minutes in my next job which didn't last long. The phone was great though and it kept me from being tied to the office.

Back into full self employment, I kept that phone. I discovered two things:

- My clients like talking to me when the have a question, and I like putting out any fires that might start right off the bat. I also like direct, no the spot, instant communication with my subs and vendors

- I cut down on miscommunications as well as employees. With my cell phone now, I don't have or need a secretary, and my clients really like the fact they can call me anytime. It is a great selling tool for them to think I am always in arm's reach. As long as they don't abuse it, I am perfectly fine with them calling anytime for any reason. My cell phone is on my card right with my office number

All of that makes my life much easier. Not to mention that it make my life exponentially easier when my aging parents are ill and I am the liason/point man for two sisters that aren't in attendance. Plus... Dad seems to fall a lot these days... lots of emergencies...

Thinking about it now, I guess I have had a portable phone for almost

30 years... wow... where did that time go...

I don't know what I would do without one.

Robert

[Robatoy]

3 cells, one home phone, one fax. VOIP, Skype, MSN, 6 e-mail accounts, smoke signals and war drums, morse code on car horns, a complete collection of signal flags, all of them ringing and puffin' and buzzing telling me that MaryAnn from Gilligan's island is a pothead.

I think Lew is on the right track. I also have too many keys.

*singing*

She was a level-headed dancer on the road to alcohol And I was just a soldier on my way to Montreal Well she pressed her chest against me About the time the juke box broke Yeah, she gave me a peck on the back of the neck And these are the words she spoke

[Chorus:] Blow up your TV throw away your paper Go to the country, build you a home Plant a little garden, eat a lot of peaches Try an find Jesus on your own

Well, I sat there at the table and I acted real naive For I knew that topless lady had something up her sleeve Well, she danced around the bar room and she did the hoochy-coo Yeah she sang her song all night long, tellin' me what to do

[Chorus]

Well, I was young and hungry and about to leave that place When just as I was leavin', well she looked me in the face I said "You must know the answer." "She said, "No but I'll give it a try." And to this very day we've been livin' our way And here is the reason why

We blew up our TV threw away our paper Went to the country, built us a home Had a lot of children, fed 'em on peaches They all found Jesus on their own

[Leon]

Having parents in their mid 80's, my phone is so that they can get me when ever they need to. My parents, son , wife, older sister and BIL and I all got on the same plan. In the past month we used 90 minutes between the 5 of us. Only very close friends and family will get the numbers. I also look at it as an electronic leash but after my wife had been rear ended on the highway 2 times in the past 6 months I decided I'd better get her a phone too.

[Lew Hodgett]

Spend some time sailing and you develop a whole different outlook on life, especially if you don't crank up the diesel jib when the wind dies down for a while.

You learn a certain degree of patience or you quit sailing.

Lew

[nailshooter41]

Usually I am up with your alliterations. But where in the hell (who in the hell?) did that come from?

Robert

[Lew Hodgett]

SFWIW, my mother will turn 103 next month and is still back in Ohio,

2,400 miles away per GPS.

She was living alone until a year ago when she fell and suffered a compound fracture just above the right ankle.

She is now in a nursing home, but has a cordless phone with a lot of numbers plugged in, including my own.

We talk at least twice a week

SFWIW, my mother was wearing her medical alert around her neck. She managed to push it while she still could.

Paramedics were there in less than 10 minutes.

Without that alert, she would have blead to death.

For those of you with parents living alone and in their senior years, wearing that alert will give you both a lot of peace of mind.

I insisted that mom wear it if she wanted to stay alone.

Think about it.

Lew

[nailshooter41]

Good for you in getting her to wear it. I would love it if mine would as well, but they are too damn stupid to do it.

My father cannot stand by himself, he cannot walk without a walker, fix a meal, drive, or go to the bathroom by himself. He has fallen so many times he has constant oozing of open wounds on his arms.

BUT... he thinks if he gets the emergency button to wear that people will think he is old and dependent on others.

He hasn't been able to figure out that others have deduced that without the button.

Robert

[LRod]

Why do you do it four times a year?

[Charlie Self]

I feel for you. We just went through that with my wife's parents, both in their mid-80s. Not much of the WWII generation going to be left shortly.

I got a TracFone about four weeks ago. When I finally got the POS activated, it wouldn't work out of my home or shop. In fact, the closest spot I've found for it to work is on the order of five or six miles away.

In four weeks, I've managed to use 15 of the 140 minutes I got. I bought 120, they gave me 20 as a bonus for activating online. The minutes run out 7/14. As soon as the minutes are used up, the phone goes in the drawer with my first cell phone, unless I happen to be standing on or near stone, brick or other masonry when the minutes are done.

[J. Clarke]

Resetting the clocks that are programmed to reset themselves for daylight savings time on the old dates and that do not have any way to alter the programming.

[Leon]

Well, in all honesty I am already starting to see this as a tool. When my friends started getting cell phones about 18 years ago they were complaining about $250 per month phone bills and the phones were not being used for business. They also worked for me and in no way ever used the telephones for the business. They simply wanted to be able to talke to each other while driving to and from work. That was where I got my bad taste and for the most part most don't have the need.

[Leon]

It is tough seeing them get old however both are in great health considering their age. Both get around without any aid and dad makes it to the grocery store 2 -4 times daily. ;~)

I looked pretty closely at the Tracfone for a few weeks and decided to go with AT&T. While a bit more expensive I don't think any one of the 5 of us has had a connection problem. I am sure being in a big city has a lot to do with the quality of service. 4 of us ended up with Sony Ericsson Walkman phones and my sister went with a Nokia IIRC. The Sony phones do so much that they just so happen to work as a phone also. ;~) I turned text messaging and internet service off on all units so that "dad" would not run up a big bill. He connected to the internet 18 times in the first 2 days and was not aware that he had done so. The Tracphone seemed too complicated when sharing minutes between 5 people, had I been the only one, there would probably be one in my posession. The salesman did indicate that 98% of all people that go with a pay as you go type phone end up upgrading to a monthly service. The phones we got were relatively cheap, the $300 each Sony phones were $30each and the $200 Nokia was $10. Then the monthly service is $100 per month for all 5 phones + those fees and taxes. Because we all are AT&T land line customers we can call each other on the cell phones or land line with no cost in monthly minutes at any time.

That was the biggest problem I had with pay as you go phones. I did not like the fact that whether your minutes were used or not you had to "recharge" every so often to keep the service up and running. As it appears we will probably use the phones more but will probably end up with a bundle of minutes in 12 months. I think I will call some one in Japan to soak up some of those minutes later on. LOL

[Robatoy]

I read into Lew's post that his dream is a life without clocks and keys. I got lost in that concept of 'no keys'... too many keys _is_ indicative of a complex life... just never thought about it that way.

The name of the song is Spanish Pipedream by John Prine. His dream was to blow up the TV and throwing away the paper and live a life with fewer hassles. To have the kids fend for themselves etc. (that song also has a great line in it: he knew that topless lady had something up her sleeve.)

That would be my dream. To be a Free Man In Paris, with nobody calling me up for favours, no-one's future to decide. (Joni Mitchell)

No keys, no clocks, no phones, no news bringing me down... a dream alright.

I tried to chase that dream when I took an early retirement and tried that whole freedom 55 thing.... some of us just have to be productive..and I will probably die doing something constructive... call me type-A. Angela pointed out that one of my chairs was worn..but only the front 2" of the seat cushion....LOL

Angela and I also take care of two of my parents, both 86. Fortunately for us, we have no worries about stolen checkbooks and jewelry. We are dealing with a care facility with the highest moral and ethical standards one can hope for in a government-guided-controlled environment. The care and management is simply superb. Say what you will about socialized health care, but this part of it we got down pat. (Socialized and socialist are not the same, imho.)

That whole 'no-key' concept was something I equated with freedom...I think Lew is a latent hippy. :-)

r

[Leon]

I read into Lew's post that his dream is a life without clocks and keys. I got lost in that concept of 'no keys'... too many keys _is_ indicative of a complex life... just never thought about it that way.

I carry "1" key and it fits my Tundra. I use push buttons to get into the house.

[Robatoy]

Actually, I push buttons to get into the house as well. Mine is a Weisers..It has been flawless for 8 years now..but it does have quite an appetite for batteries. It is also a a very strong bolt.

[Leon]

Actually, I push buttons to get into the house as well. Mine is a Weisers..It has been flawless for 8 years now..but it does have quite an appetite for batteries. It is also a a very strong bolt.

My door locks still require keys but I go in through the garage and let the remote in the vehicle or exterior key pad open the door. I have noticed the finger print readers for the entry doors and can see those being useful. IIRC you can program it to work for up to 50 fingers prints and only work at specific times for each finger.

[LRod]

That's the fault of the equipment, not the DST concept. And, by the way, year around DST would solve that altogether.

[J. Clarke]

No, that's the fault of the Congress for changing the dates without considering the consequences.

And I have no objection to that at all. So think that it can be sold to the Congress?

[nailshooter41]

Interesting! I am not too familiar with Prine's body of work, although I like some of it a lot. I tend to think of him in a much darker >vein That whole 'no-key' concept was something I equated with freedom...I

Me too. I am quite content with my mental picture of Lew as my guy in robes walking the earth. Maybe a slightly cranky guy in search of truth, but hey... no picture is perfect!

Just kiddin' Lew.

About the robes, anyway.

Robert

[Robatoy]