Working the sixteen hours of clinical in an ambulance to get my EMT license brought back so many police memories, and with them I experienced the great contrast between the two roles. What follows is an examination of that contrast...
In policework, once you check out a car, you're gone- no one wants to see you back at the station unless you have an arrest or just need to use the head. As an EMT , you head back to the barn after every call, sit on a couch and watch TV, play on your laptop- no one cares. If you did that as a cop, you'd be written up for dereliction of duty and not 'covering your beat'.
In policework, if things get slow, you make your own activity; you pull over a junkie loser with an expired sticker or a leadfoot who just blew the red light; like as not he has warrants, you get to toss his car and take him to jail.
In the EMT world, you can't exactly bust out on Main Street and whack some guy up the side of the head to get a little action. Back at the break room you wait- sometimes for hours- being forced to endure puerile movies like Talledega Nights accompanied by the banter of twenty-something guys in all its fascinating glory. Conversation runs the gamut from what's in the refrigerator ( Susie made me pork chops today) to the new Blue Ray player and all its features, to the bonehead move some co-worker made last shift, to that FNG medic that no one will ride with because he wants to push drugs on every call.
In the cop world, no one gets in your space. You have a zone of impenetrability that extends around you like a cone, with an extra foot of leeway around the hip your gun is on. As an EMT, people's bodily fluids are your business, and you're rubbing assess and elbows with your partner as you clamber about the small space remaining in the back of the ambulance once the loaded stretcher is on, trying to reach the hospital radio, EKG mounted on the wall, blood pressure cuff, etc. Often you're enroute to the hospital while all this is going on, so you don't even have stability, lurching all over.
As an EMT, calls are brief. You may be asking people the most personal questions about their drug habits, what they've consumed or how many times they've puked in the last few hours - but it will be over very soon. Once you’re transporting to the hospital, there’s a limited exposure of about ten more minutes with the patient. You arrive, tuck them into a room, give the nurse your report, and boom you're done.
As a cop, once a call starts it tends to stretch out. Even a simple burglary report can require an hour and half, what with crime scene, inventory, photos, etc. and the report. If you’re transporting someone, that's an arrest, and when you reach the station the fun is just beginning. Now you have to empty the guy's pockets, take away shoes, belt, jewelry, inventory any money and separately inventory all property and clothing. Then you have to bang out an arrest report and perhaps finish a tow slip. Start to finish this takes at least two hours, especially if you need to wait for a tow for his car. Meanwhile the dispatcher is asking you to clear before your report is done- and often you must- so at the end of the night you may end up with seven half-done reports to finish. After a busy night, the briefing room is quiet as eight or more officers from the previous shift are banging out their reports so they can go home.
As a cop, it's practically your job to be gruff with people. All the hoopla about community policing aside, if you act to nice to people they're gonna walk all over you. You can be taciturn, rude, noncommittal, act like you don't even care- and its all seen as part of the persona and no one minds. You can make sick jokes and be extremely sarcastic, and still come across as a dedicated veteran officer.
From the EMT, people are expecting a bit of sympathy and hand holding. So what if they call the ambulance every week when they get drunk and can't walk home - they want to be mollycoddled just as much as the stroke victim or the multiple motor vehicle accident patient.
Something both roles have in common is a tendency to second guess people.
"Can you believe this guy called 911 for a transport and all he has is a headache? Why didn't he just ask his girlfriend to take him? Then again, he's frequent flier, you see all the calls to this address? Waste of the taxpayer's money.And of course he doesn't have any insurance."
"This guy has a record for B&E, assault, and dope, plus multiple motor vehicle infractions. He's going down."
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Friday, December 4, 2009
A message about Parking from your local Community College
An announcement arrives from Great Bay Community College regarding Parking. That's with a "P". Once again, my inborn irreverence cannot let this document stand unmolested.
I reproduce the missive ,original in bold the edited version (italics) is all mine.
Early in September our parking areas were spilling over and we were allowing people to park in areas we otherwise would not.
Humble and long suffering students, in our move we grossly underestimated the number of parking spaces needed, even though the new lots were 1/3 the size of the old. Just like we forgot to tell you about the snags with the old building-
Since then we have witnessed a lightening of the demand for on campus parking, and have added spaces to the inventory as well.
You people dropped and flunked out at a higher rate than even we anticipated. The "spaces" were previously covered by lingering construction vehicles.
In fact, the Student Senate has undertaken a parking survey whereby they inventoried available spaces every hour of every day of the week. This has revealed that there are adequate numbers of lined parking spaces for the numbers of cars that are here at any time on any day.
We stuck the student senate with this job so there would be less outcry; don't shoot the messenger, it's coming from one of your own.We define 'adequate' as enough spaces at 8pm, or during the lunch hour, but limited enough that at 9am that you will be forced to circle and hover.
Thank you for your patience when our parking lots were overflowing and for your cooperation now that this situation has been relieved.
As usual, what choice did we have, hapless commuter students that we are?
The best thing about the new campus is ...
I reproduce the missive ,original in bold the edited version (italics) is all mine.
Early in September our parking areas were spilling over and we were allowing people to park in areas we otherwise would not.
- the cafe would be closed for half the summer session
- we wouldn't replace toilet paper during the moving.
- those fees you paid for computer and library access? Phooey. Those are all packed up now.
Since then we have witnessed a lightening of the demand for on campus parking, and have added spaces to the inventory as well.
You people dropped and flunked out at a higher rate than even we anticipated. The "spaces" were previously covered by lingering construction vehicles.
In fact, the Student Senate has undertaken a parking survey whereby they inventoried available spaces every hour of every day of the week. This has revealed that there are adequate numbers of lined parking spaces for the numbers of cars that are here at any time on any day.
We stuck the student senate with this job so there would be less outcry; don't shoot the messenger, it's coming from one of your own.We define 'adequate' as enough spaces at 8pm, or during the lunch hour, but limited enough that at 9am that you will be forced to circle and hover.
From this point forward parking will be limited to “lined” spaces. Parking curbside or on the grass will now be eliminated. This will place us in a better situation relative to accessibility to campus by emergency vehicles, and enable us to maintain a more attractive campus. It will also make proper clearing of snow possible during the upcoming winter months.
One wonders how errant vehicles might be 'eliminated'. Will they be sequestered in the student automotive shop ( if it still exists) and chopped for parts?
We also have been granted access to park at 360 Corporate Drive as there is a vacant, unused lot at that address. It is a very short walk from there to the campus.
Vacant and unused, hmm. Does that mean our nonexistent security patrol, usually found playing video games on their laptops, will be maintaining their non-presence in this nether area as well? Park there at your peril. Who will plow and maintain this nefarious space? The "short walk" could become a Iditarod qualifier if one has to hoof it over unplowed areas to reach campus.
Thank you for your patience when our parking lots were overflowing and for your cooperation now that this situation has been relieved.
As usual, what choice did we have, hapless commuter students that we are?
- not the drawers in the Chemistry lab that open only halfway, breaking glassware inside when one's arm unexpectedly encounters a full stop;
- not the women's toilets that need to be flushed "twice a potty" or leave scary remnants;
- not the elevator that is never available,
- or the mystery hallways that lead nowhere-
Friday, September 18, 2009
The Problem is All Inside Your Head She Said To Me
Kevin sits in the living room watching 50 First Dates.
After the first 45 seconds I am convinced it is the worst Adam Sandler movie I have ever seen. I cringe for Sandler, native of our fair city Manchester NH-whom I believe has comedic talent-but whom I also know will one day be confronted by his sixteen year old offspring:
"Dad?"
Yes?
"How could you demean yourself like that? Didn't you already make enough money? Couldn't you choose your projects? It's not even funny. And you act like all the women are stupid enough to believe your dopey lines!"
I take refuge in noting that the camera doesn't love Sandler. Skin treatments and gleaming skull-like cap of hair to the contrary, his eyes too closely=spaced and always just a touch off kilter, not a clean line anywhere in the bones of his face. Catch him in Reign Over Me (2007) as a devastated widower, and ponder how the selfsame human being could be attracted to both projects. Waterboy was cute, sure, but am I alone in thinking that the passage of time could allow the man to burnish his talent, not torch it?
So passes another moment of wedded unbliss, which we have few of, somehow. I hole up in the spare bedroom and read what for me is total escapism, a memoir about a woman who gave up her son for adoption in 1965. The introduction alone has me in tears.
After a week which went something like this: AflacsalestrainingAnatomyand PhysiologyBloodandBloodvesselsEMTclassEmergencyMovementAnatomyPhysiolgyThe HeartNutitionSugarsStatisticsHistogramsFrequencyDistributionsChemistryThermodynamicsEMT class airwaymanagementProductTrainingChemistryInermolecularForces ... a good cry over an easy book is a slum dunk.
Bracing for the next few months when every week will be just as crazy, with just as many new topics and terms competing for memory space, assignments forever done at the eleventh hour, never ahead though always studying, studying harder and longer than ever before because some of these courses are as Russian for an English major.
After the first 45 seconds I am convinced it is the worst Adam Sandler movie I have ever seen. I cringe for Sandler, native of our fair city Manchester NH-whom I believe has comedic talent-but whom I also know will one day be confronted by his sixteen year old offspring:
"Dad?"
Yes?
"How could you demean yourself like that? Didn't you already make enough money? Couldn't you choose your projects? It's not even funny. And you act like all the women are stupid enough to believe your dopey lines!"
I take refuge in noting that the camera doesn't love Sandler. Skin treatments and gleaming skull-like cap of hair to the contrary, his eyes too closely=spaced and always just a touch off kilter, not a clean line anywhere in the bones of his face. Catch him in Reign Over Me (2007) as a devastated widower, and ponder how the selfsame human being could be attracted to both projects. Waterboy was cute, sure, but am I alone in thinking that the passage of time could allow the man to burnish his talent, not torch it?
So passes another moment of wedded unbliss, which we have few of, somehow. I hole up in the spare bedroom and read what for me is total escapism, a memoir about a woman who gave up her son for adoption in 1965. The introduction alone has me in tears.
After a week which went something like this: AflacsalestrainingAnatomyand PhysiologyBloodandBloodvesselsEMTclassEmergencyMovementAnatomyPhysiolgyThe HeartNutitionSugarsStatisticsHistogramsFrequencyDistributionsChemistryThermodynamicsEMT class airwaymanagementProductTrainingChemistryInermolecularForces ... a good cry over an easy book is a slum dunk.
Bracing for the next few months when every week will be just as crazy, with just as many new topics and terms competing for memory space, assignments forever done at the eleventh hour, never ahead though always studying, studying harder and longer than ever before because some of these courses are as Russian for an English major.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Neat Nutrition Tool
I couldn't wait to share this new tool, found in all places on a government website.
Have you ever wondered about exactly what nutrition you are getting on a given day? But it would be way too much of a pain to figure it out, right? Not any more.
Just speaking for myself, I find this tool to be very motivating to keep on the straight and narrow. Counting calories- eh, not so much, that never worked. But looking at the entire picture- calories, nutrition, percent of fat and carbs, and physical activity- that's cool and it actually is helping me. I hope it helps you, too.
Here's how:
o Log in to the “Interactive Healthy Eating Index and Physical Activity Tool” at the following USDA website http://www.mypyramidtracker.gov/
o Scroll to the bottom of the page and click and complete the “New User Registration” process.
( or you can just do the 'Check it Out') The next page should be “Check It Out Profile”. Complete that and then to “Proceed to Food Intake” at the bottom of the page.
o Input the each food item * note, just list what you ate, don't do quantities yet, just find all your food items for the day.
o After food quantities are complete, hit “Save and Analyze” at the bottom of the page.
o At the next page entitled “Analyze Your Food Intake”, click “Calculate Nutrient Intakes From Foods”.
o Review other reports such as % of fat, carbs and protein from food. I was just complaining to my doctor the other day that I am being good, why am I not losing weight? Well, this program gave me the answer. Even though consistently my calorie content was low or below suggested levels, my percent of fat content was too high. I am looking at my food differently...
o This software is bad at backing up, just look for links at the top and bottom of the page to maneuver- however, it does save each day, even if you are just trying it.
Have you ever wondered about exactly what nutrition you are getting on a given day? But it would be way too much of a pain to figure it out, right? Not any more.
Just speaking for myself, I find this tool to be very motivating to keep on the straight and narrow. Counting calories- eh, not so much, that never worked. But looking at the entire picture- calories, nutrition, percent of fat and carbs, and physical activity- that's cool and it actually is helping me. I hope it helps you, too.
Here's how:
o Log in to the “Interactive Healthy Eating Index and Physical Activity Tool” at the following USDA website http://www.mypyramidtracker.gov/
o Scroll to the bottom of the page and click and complete the “New User Registration” process.
( or you can just do the 'Check it Out') The next page should be “Check It Out Profile”. Complete that and then to “Proceed to Food Intake” at the bottom of the page.
o Input the each food item * note, just list what you ate, don't do quantities yet, just find all your food items for the day.
o After food quantities are complete, hit “Save and Analyze” at the bottom of the page.
o At the next page entitled “Analyze Your Food Intake”, click “Calculate Nutrient Intakes From Foods”.
o Review other reports such as % of fat, carbs and protein from food. I was just complaining to my doctor the other day that I am being good, why am I not losing weight? Well, this program gave me the answer. Even though consistently my calorie content was low or below suggested levels, my percent of fat content was too high. I am looking at my food differently...
o This software is bad at backing up, just look for links at the top and bottom of the page to maneuver- however, it does save each day, even if you are just trying it.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
10,000 lose power to errant squirrel
I copy this here because I loved the comments people added; keep in mind the Union Leader newspaper is anti-Obama, anti gay marriage, basically a conservative local rag.
10,000 lose power to errant squirrel
By PAT GROSSMITH
New Hampshire Union Leader Staff
Thursday, Aug. 20, 2009
LONDONDERRY – Power was zapped to more than 10,000 households this morning from Fremont to Derry, caused by a scampering squirrel that was stopped dead in its tracks.
Martin Murray, spokesman for Public Service Co. of New Hampshire, said the squirrel apparently stretched between a live line and grounded structural steel, becoming a conduit for electricity and taking out the Scobie Substation in Londonderry. The squirrel's electrocution put the lights out initially for 4,500 PSNH customers.
But that incident tripped a circuit at a substation in Chester, putting the lights out for another 5,000 PSNH customers. In addition, at least 1,400 other customers of the New Hampshire Electric Co-op found themselves in the dark.
Murray said the Chester substation was back on line about 20 minutes later while power was restored to everyone in just under two hours.
It is the third time in as many months that a squirrel has caused a power outage. On July 18, the Scobie Pond station went down when another trespassing squirrel was zapped and on May 18, 1,800 households lost power when another furry rodent was electrocuted after it chewed on a piece of equipment in a box near the intersection of Tsienneto Road and Bypass 28.
PSNH already has squirrel guards in place along its lines but Murray said the company will be taking a hard look at the Scobie Pond substation to see what else can be done to prevent it from happening again.
Towns affected by the outage include Derry, Londonderry, Auburn, Chester, Deerfield, Raymond, Northwood, Nottingham and Fremont.
YOUR COMMENTS
Hey Bill....how about they DONT fix it at all? Let's see how long you can live without power? If you think PSNH can control when a rodent runs through a substation you're nuts.
- Deb, Hooksett
LEAVE THE SQUIRREL ALONE!!!!... I saw the accident, a cat chased the squirrel.
Cats owners are the problem. Now there is someone to sue.
- J, Loudon
It just show a squirrel had all the power and the people had none. But it was just to much for the squirrel. HINT.?!
- mo, plymouth
Why do I get the feeling that all of PSNH circuts are run in series..........if one light goes out they all go out.......
- Jim, Londonderry
Poor squirrel... I wonder what the last thing that went through his mind was?... Oh, I know! About 50,000 volts.
- Paul D., Londonderry, NH
I bet the squirrel was placed there on purpose as the electric company probably was expecting a power outage due to too many people running their air conditioners and wanted to declare unforeseen activities instead of negligence. That is really close and stupid to have a live wire so close to a ground....hmmmm.....V=IR?
- Tesla, Manchester, NH
I suppose it's better way to go than being run over by a car, or eaten by a Londonderry resident...
- Timm Fives, Bedford
I wonder how much they will charge us to fix this?
- Bill, andover
Ahh, Nuts! It was ACORNS fault. The Squirrel was trying to register to vote and was given bad directions.
- Goldie, Bedford
I bet he was texting....
- John, Weare
..another reason to catch up with other countries and actually bury power lines underground. Our country is so far ahead in some areas, yet so far behind in others.
- Chris, Laconia
eric beat me to it......... So i'll just say they taste great fried with gravy.
- bob, auburn
Now Bullwinkle has no one to talk to.
- Ron, Manchester
When will PETA roll into town stating that all powerlines and substations be taken down to protect the squirrels.
- Steve, Derry
Furry Squirrel..... Died August 20th 2009
You will be missed.
- CJ Turner, Deerfield
Its Obamas fault.... If he wasnt trying to disarm all of America all the people out of work could shoot the squirrells for food ... :-)
- Rob, Milford
Lily, never mind trying to sue the squirrel's family. I'd be more worried about the squirrel's family trying to sue for emotional pain and suffering and loss of companionship. I'm sure someone from the ACLU will get right on it.
- Laurie, Londonderry, NH
Did he leave a note?
- Jeff, Manchester
Nice to see that folks are actually blaming the culprit (the squirrel) instead of George Bush!
- Jeff, Manchester
I like the term "furry rodent" which was used in the story. Squirrels are a nuisance. If one gets into your attic, they can create a lot of problems including chewing the insulation off the wiring. Several years ago a home in my neighborhood was heavily damaged when the wiring sparked and set the home afire. I trap the squirrels in my yard and killthem.
- Gordon, Laconia
This is equal parts sad and hysterical
- Kelly, Bristol
I was inconvenienced - how do I go about suing the squirrel's family, PSNH, the DPW for not putting up "no squirrel" signs, and the town of Derry for not having squirrel ordinances?
- Lily, Windham
They always blame the poor squirrels.
- JB, Derry
I bet it was a squirrel from Massachusetts.
- Eric, Manchester, NH
© 2009, Union Leader Corporation. All rights reserved.
All trademarks and copyrights on this page are owned by their respective owners. © 1997-2009.
10,000 lose power to errant squirrel
By PAT GROSSMITH
New Hampshire Union Leader Staff
Thursday, Aug. 20, 2009
LONDONDERRY – Power was zapped to more than 10,000 households this morning from Fremont to Derry, caused by a scampering squirrel that was stopped dead in its tracks.
Martin Murray, spokesman for Public Service Co. of New Hampshire, said the squirrel apparently stretched between a live line and grounded structural steel, becoming a conduit for electricity and taking out the Scobie Substation in Londonderry. The squirrel's electrocution put the lights out initially for 4,500 PSNH customers.
But that incident tripped a circuit at a substation in Chester, putting the lights out for another 5,000 PSNH customers. In addition, at least 1,400 other customers of the New Hampshire Electric Co-op found themselves in the dark.
Murray said the Chester substation was back on line about 20 minutes later while power was restored to everyone in just under two hours.
It is the third time in as many months that a squirrel has caused a power outage. On July 18, the Scobie Pond station went down when another trespassing squirrel was zapped and on May 18, 1,800 households lost power when another furry rodent was electrocuted after it chewed on a piece of equipment in a box near the intersection of Tsienneto Road and Bypass 28.
PSNH already has squirrel guards in place along its lines but Murray said the company will be taking a hard look at the Scobie Pond substation to see what else can be done to prevent it from happening again.
Towns affected by the outage include Derry, Londonderry, Auburn, Chester, Deerfield, Raymond, Northwood, Nottingham and Fremont.
YOUR COMMENTS
Hey Bill....how about they DONT fix it at all? Let's see how long you can live without power? If you think PSNH can control when a rodent runs through a substation you're nuts.
- Deb, Hooksett
LEAVE THE SQUIRREL ALONE!!!!... I saw the accident, a cat chased the squirrel.
Cats owners are the problem. Now there is someone to sue.
- J, Loudon
It just show a squirrel had all the power and the people had none. But it was just to much for the squirrel. HINT.?!
- mo, plymouth
Why do I get the feeling that all of PSNH circuts are run in series..........if one light goes out they all go out.......
- Jim, Londonderry
Poor squirrel... I wonder what the last thing that went through his mind was?... Oh, I know! About 50,000 volts.
- Paul D., Londonderry, NH
I bet the squirrel was placed there on purpose as the electric company probably was expecting a power outage due to too many people running their air conditioners and wanted to declare unforeseen activities instead of negligence. That is really close and stupid to have a live wire so close to a ground....hmmmm.....V=IR?
- Tesla, Manchester, NH
I suppose it's better way to go than being run over by a car, or eaten by a Londonderry resident...
- Timm Fives, Bedford
I wonder how much they will charge us to fix this?
- Bill, andover
Ahh, Nuts! It was ACORNS fault. The Squirrel was trying to register to vote and was given bad directions.
- Goldie, Bedford
I bet he was texting....
- John, Weare
..another reason to catch up with other countries and actually bury power lines underground. Our country is so far ahead in some areas, yet so far behind in others.
- Chris, Laconia
eric beat me to it......... So i'll just say they taste great fried with gravy.
- bob, auburn
Now Bullwinkle has no one to talk to.
- Ron, Manchester
When will PETA roll into town stating that all powerlines and substations be taken down to protect the squirrels.
- Steve, Derry
Furry Squirrel..... Died August 20th 2009
You will be missed.
- CJ Turner, Deerfield
Its Obamas fault.... If he wasnt trying to disarm all of America all the people out of work could shoot the squirrells for food ... :-)
- Rob, Milford
Lily, never mind trying to sue the squirrel's family. I'd be more worried about the squirrel's family trying to sue for emotional pain and suffering and loss of companionship. I'm sure someone from the ACLU will get right on it.
- Laurie, Londonderry, NH
Did he leave a note?
- Jeff, Manchester
Nice to see that folks are actually blaming the culprit (the squirrel) instead of George Bush!
- Jeff, Manchester
I like the term "furry rodent" which was used in the story. Squirrels are a nuisance. If one gets into your attic, they can create a lot of problems including chewing the insulation off the wiring. Several years ago a home in my neighborhood was heavily damaged when the wiring sparked and set the home afire. I trap the squirrels in my yard and killthem.
- Gordon, Laconia
This is equal parts sad and hysterical
- Kelly, Bristol
I was inconvenienced - how do I go about suing the squirrel's family, PSNH, the DPW for not putting up "no squirrel" signs, and the town of Derry for not having squirrel ordinances?
- Lily, Windham
They always blame the poor squirrels.
- JB, Derry
I bet it was a squirrel from Massachusetts.
- Eric, Manchester, NH
© 2009, Union Leader Corporation. All rights reserved.
All trademarks and copyrights on this page are owned by their respective owners. © 1997-2009.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Phone Phobia and Lapses in Connectivity
So I'm betting I'm not the only one.
Since childhood, I don't answer the phone. In the old days, one lurked by the message machine to overhear who was leaving a missive. With the advent of caller ID, one can screen calls from the handset of a phone - yet even when the number is one I recognize, I frequently don't answer it.
Further confessions- I also stockpile messages and listen to them in bulk, sometimes necessitating the ten day call back rule. Somehow I can't handle getting back to the caller right away, regardless of whether personal or business.
How to explain this foible? My position seems to be that no interruption feels important enough to penetrate the sanctuary of my current state. So I'm a raging introvert, or perhaps this is my reaction to our unrestrained modern accessibility. Never in history have so many been so universally available. Boundaries between "work" and one's personal life are increasingly blurred...too often I've returned a business email after 11pm and been shocked to receive an immediate reply.
I wonder, is this a bad thing? Well, doubtless many of us want to work on our own time and terms, or we chalk it up to efficiency, or we want to "clear out" messages so we are free to work uninterrupted for large blocks of time on something demanding greater concentration. Yet as much as it appears to be a matter of personal choice, those on the other end of the line ( email or phone) are increasingly more demanding about the speed with which we respond.
I ruminate that in the days of the letter ( prior to phone service, and let us recall that the email is internet dependent and therefore phonage), ten days to two weeks may have been an acceptable time frame. I'm reminded of the novel Time and Again by Jack Finney
wherein we learn that in the 1880's New York City offered mail delivery to one's home ( front door slot) five times a day.
So at that time, at least intra-urban, one might have experienced a similar connectivity to the modern equivalent.
Perhaps I'm given to ponder this fact because my family was without connectivity for almost a month in the wake of the Great New Hampshire Ice Storm of 2008.
Granted, we already existed on the fringe of US civilization because we eschew cable - or satellite or anything else, and have lived this way for over three years. There's much to say about what happens to your family life- all good- once the boob tube goes dark.
Such Luddite practices may have become more in vogue with the advent of rocketing unemployment and belt tightening; indeed, cutting the cable cord is one of the first recommended steps in reducing costs.
This is not to say that we exist without entertainment. The different is, we plan our viewing and because of that one fact, we frequently view en famille. Viewing becomes more of an event; also, our viewing is necessarily of longer duration, since most of what we watch is on DVD or Netflix on demand. The remainder sourced on the internet. So, in the living room, similar to those who partake of DVR, Tivo or VUDU , we escape commercials, only watch what we plan to watch, and watch at a time and place of our choosing.
Back to the phone thing - I guess that's my position- I'm willing to talk, but when I'm ready, and the modern convenience of being able to schedule favorite programs has only further entrenched my stand.
Since childhood, I don't answer the phone. In the old days, one lurked by the message machine to overhear who was leaving a missive. With the advent of caller ID, one can screen calls from the handset of a phone - yet even when the number is one I recognize, I frequently don't answer it.
Further confessions- I also stockpile messages and listen to them in bulk, sometimes necessitating the ten day call back rule. Somehow I can't handle getting back to the caller right away, regardless of whether personal or business.
How to explain this foible? My position seems to be that no interruption feels important enough to penetrate the sanctuary of my current state. So I'm a raging introvert, or perhaps this is my reaction to our unrestrained modern accessibility. Never in history have so many been so universally available. Boundaries between "work" and one's personal life are increasingly blurred...too often I've returned a business email after 11pm and been shocked to receive an immediate reply.
I wonder, is this a bad thing? Well, doubtless many of us want to work on our own time and terms, or we chalk it up to efficiency, or we want to "clear out" messages so we are free to work uninterrupted for large blocks of time on something demanding greater concentration. Yet as much as it appears to be a matter of personal choice, those on the other end of the line ( email or phone) are increasingly more demanding about the speed with which we respond.
I ruminate that in the days of the letter ( prior to phone service, and let us recall that the email is internet dependent and therefore phonage), ten days to two weeks may have been an acceptable time frame. I'm reminded of the novel Time and Again by Jack Finney
wherein we learn that in the 1880's New York City offered mail delivery to one's home ( front door slot) five times a day.So at that time, at least intra-urban, one might have experienced a similar connectivity to the modern equivalent.
Perhaps I'm given to ponder this fact because my family was without connectivity for almost a month in the wake of the Great New Hampshire Ice Storm of 2008.
Granted, we already existed on the fringe of US civilization because we eschew cable - or satellite or anything else, and have lived this way for over three years. There's much to say about what happens to your family life- all good- once the boob tube goes dark.
Such Luddite practices may have become more in vogue with the advent of rocketing unemployment and belt tightening; indeed, cutting the cable cord is one of the first recommended steps in reducing costs.
This is not to say that we exist without entertainment. The different is, we plan our viewing and because of that one fact, we frequently view en famille. Viewing becomes more of an event; also, our viewing is necessarily of longer duration, since most of what we watch is on DVD or Netflix on demand. The remainder sourced on the internet. So, in the living room, similar to those who partake of DVR, Tivo or VUDU , we escape commercials, only watch what we plan to watch, and watch at a time and place of our choosing.
Back to the phone thing - I guess that's my position- I'm willing to talk, but when I'm ready, and the modern convenience of being able to schedule favorite programs has only further entrenched my stand.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Productivity Nil
Realization dawned last night that those wonderful bargain 6$ long sleeved shirts from Old Navy Christmas fire sale made me eligible for the PBS cast of Zoom. Lovely.
Yesterday's accomplishments for me:
- marathon session of Law and Order
Criminal Intent Year Four, two episodes to go. D'Onofrio still the bomb.
For Kevin-
- Re-tiled grout in downstairs bathroom
- Installed toilet paper holder in upstairs bathroom.
- Installed new cooktop in kitchen after our 'new' ceramic cooktop cracked.
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