As a blogger, I get to “vent” and call it writing. And today’s the day.
I hate the 21st century! There, I’ve said it and here’s why.
Then and Now
Time was, a person would buy a television set, plug it in, turn it on and watch every available channel. (Okay, maybe there were only three, but they were FREE.) Now the smorgasbord of streaming choices masks the fact that you can’t get good-old ABC, NBC and CBS, all three available and airing their daily schedule. Instead, so called “live” TV news, for example, may give me an old Dateline show that aired months before. Of course, I could mortgage my house to get what I want, but in the end, is it worth it?
A mere year ago, millions of us hopped on Skype and gathered on line to enjoy each other’s company. It was free. It was easy. So of course, it was a prime target for elimination.
If I read “new and improved” once more on a product I’ll scream. It was fine before you “fixed” it! Research & Development departments should stop messing with what already works to justify their existence.
There’s an insurance commercial that’s all about teaching people to avoid becoming like their parents. Well, that’s not such a bad thing. We problem solved, actually fixed broken objects, and knew enough to stop and have some fun in life. We got together and enjoyed each other’s company without i Phones. Since many of us call yard work “fun,” our lawns and flower beds look just fine.
Besides all that, we can read and write cursive.
Food was Food
I ate an orange this morning that didn’t even taste remotely like an orange, and the wedges were a pale yellow. I haven’t tasted a tomato that tasted like the tomatoes I’ve eaten decades ago. And when did strawberries have a bitter taste?
So here’s the situation. First, climate change has resulted in a dwindling fresh water supply as rivers dry up and lakes become shallower. Excessive heat, fires, droughts, all affect crops.
Then there’s big -Ag—those commercial agriculture companies that drench our fruits and veggies in chemicals that will eventually kill us as we try to “eat right.” Far be it from the government to subsidize small organic farmers rather than large produce companies! When I was a child, our grocery store carried locally grown produce that was a) safe to eat, b) full of nutrients because the soil wasn’t depleted and/or poisoned, and c) tasted good.
If I find organic food in the supermarket, it’s still tasteless because it was picked before it was ripe—for long distance transport, to be stored for weeks before it finds its way to my plate.
One day, I went to a farmer’s market for locally grown vegetables.
“Do you spray your produce?” I asked the woman.
“We spray everything!” she snarled. (I guess she was tired of being asked that question.) Locally grown doesn’t always mean organic.
Internet Aggravation
All I want to do is get into a familiar website, but suddenly the embedded password is wrong. Really?! I can’t argue with a byte, so I get a new password, but first we now have dual authorization and I need a code to get in there to change it.
Currently I’m dealing with a site that wants my phone number to send the code to get into the site. But first I need to get into the site to input a phone number it can use, but I can’t get into it without a phone number to which it insists it must use to send the code.
Help folks responded with advice to clear my cookies and cache, etc. Why can’t these helpers just take my number and put it in? I’ll keep my cookies and cache. Your site is history for me and good riddance!
What’s your pet peeve in this glorious century of asininity?
OMG! You must have been listening to one of my rants! I still can’t manage to open my podiatrist’s patient portal after following the set-up instructions religiously!!!
As to savoring my fruit: I use blueberries on my morning cereal so that the anthocyanins will enhance my brain power. I buy them frozen in an effort to maintain freshness, but rinsing off these berries with hot water prior to consuming them has become quite the ritual!
Love your comments, Cathy.
Doesn’t rinsing frozen blueberries with hot water make them mushy?
I totally agree with you navigating spectrum is akin to getting a PHD🤣🤣🤣When I want to sit and relax with a show I do not need to jump through 10 hoops
Food prices are off the richter scale and most produce is wilted after two days say nothing of the $39.00 a pound for fish!!
Nobody talks they text and talking to answering machines raises my BP so yes I am nit sure how much better off we are in 2025🎃❤️
I hear you, Lenette! LPs are coming back and I saw where some folks are pulling out their digital cameras. Maybe our “past” will become the latest “now.”
What a laugh, if it weren’t so sad.
You and Andy share your “love” of technology, lol!
As for the produce, a local Lutheran church erected several raised garden beds on their property for their parishioner/community use. A couple of the beds’ produce went to the food pantry, but the rest was left to the individual. I don’t know if your neighborhood HoA would go for an area like that for your residents to use next year. We could only use organic material, no sprays or pesticides. We tended our little gardens and were responsible for upkeep.
Love those community vegetable gardens!
I’m in total agreement with you Sue, and have also considered these pts.:Loss of cursive writing: some states: (liberal= “progressive”= socialist) which in turn destroys a strong, educated middle class & does not advance our children’s education. We’re in the New Age, thus AI will only get stronger: get rid of “non-essential” workers for the benefit of the wealthy. I also noticed some commercials still sell dangerous ‘topical’ products that enter our system through the skin. (ex. deodorants–bait for the next generation). And those stories of deadly violence against people? (true or otherwise) To SELL products, of course. I decided to handle it by NO LONGER watching Dateline and those other programs. Took a week or two to get used to it, but no problem. Doing more reading & writing instead–AND BEST of ALL–I’m hitting back by NOT buying their products. I’ve seen a lot of screaming against “new age products” for over twenty yrs. now–like plastics, etc. But, guess what? Like those awful “fresh foods”– they’re still producing them! WORST of all: programs I used to watch suddenly began using the Lord’s name in vain. (Christian: Lord Jesus) They wouldn’t DARE do that with other religions. From His Word:~ what goes around comes around~ the Lord is unchanging; He’s in control of the weather and world. Re: that mini ice age in Europe–if He needs to change the terrain for some reason–there would be no stopping Him. (sorry this is so long–but what a subject–thanks Sue!)