Sunday, October 2, 2011

Things that have changed since I was a child

I was born in 1958.

The first memories I have was from when Kennedy was killed. That happened when I lived on 69th and Normandy in Los Angeles. As I grew up I noticed that this house with a wide variety of fruit trees in the backyard change. Last time I was in LA it was painted hot pink. The house the fence and the trees in the backyard. Then my parents divorced.

Then next technology that hit was the transistor. My grandfather gave us (me and my twin brother) transistor radios. That was the same year he died.

Then the space program and in 1969 man landed on the moon. (by the way there are satellites mapping out the moon surface and they have found some of the landing sites on the moon and posted those pictures on the internet).

Then Computers hit the main stream when I was in High School but nothing we could afford. The only computers available was the build your own. After High School I joined the Marines. When I got to Japan in the early 80's a friend of mine had a Commodore Vic 20. We spent hours playing on that computer. So the following year when I made it back to the states I purchased a Commodore 64. I have been playing with computers ever since.

Now there are a few things that have happened that tells me where I was at that time.

I was stationed in South Carolina when the Challenger blew up.

I was working in Sears in North Carolina when we started the first Gulf War.

I was working in Missouri when the World Trade Center was attacked.

Today I have moved to Linux. This keeps my money from going into the pockets of Microsoft, Anti-Virus companies.

Then since the computer the world has changed. We now have instant music, instant pictures, instant video. We now have the internet that allows us to talk (in some cases) face to face. We have computers that now fit in the palm of your hand. My cell phone is more powerful than the computer I have on my desk.

Not all changes are good. Before the government got involved in every aspect of life we could watch television anywhere in the US. Even if it was only three channels. Today you have to have a high dollar television antenna and a high dollar television to watch television. In most cases you still only have three channels unless you get Cable or Satellite. In order to get the good channels you have to purchase the upper plans. But with the internet you can now end Cable or Satellite and must get High speed Internet and watch almost everything on the computer or your cell phone. Apple seems to be reinventing everything but the cost will only put it in the hands of the rich. Talking about Apple. If you have an IPad you are only allowed to go where Apple allows you to go. Then they are able to track you everywhere you go. Even if you turn off your cell phone. Most phones do that now.

Hope you find this edition of "Things that I notice" entertaining.

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