10. Encyclopedias.

1 word*: google. ‘nuff said.

I remember as a Kid having to look up things up the good old way—alphabetically! Lol

9. Write things by hand.

Could you imagine if you walked into a job interview and gave the manager a hand-written resume or if you turned in a hand-written thesis to a college professor-I’m pretty sure you’d be laughed at! I was one of those kids that were on the cuff of the technologic evolution. When I first started usinf computers, MS-DOS was the operating system! But as soon as windows became prevalent, computer generated content became the status quo. I remember being 8 or 9 years old and teachers already requiring that essays be typed.

8. Cassette tapes and VHS.

I would say anyone born after 1995 or so, never knew a time when these existed. Remember when you had to set the time on your VCR because if you didn’t you couldn’t record anything!

7. Record music and music videos on Cassettes/VHS tapes

I remember when you liked a song so much, you’d wait all day until they played it on the radio or on MTV (back in the day, when it actually broadcasted music!) and if you wanted to have it to listen to it later, you’d have to record it! Now there are so many places like iTunes or Youtube where you can get instant access to music, that stalking the radio is no longer  necessary,

6. Floppy disks

I recently came a cross a floppy disk that belonged to me back from when I was a sophomore in high school and it reminded me that in the last 9, 10 years, the ways of carrying files have dramatically changed. Floppy disks were the primary way of transporting data back but that that has definitely changed-- they don’t even make computers with floppy drives anymore and doubt they have for at least 6 years. After floppies,  CDs were briefly popular but now everything is either transmitted electronically or via  Jump drive. I’m not easily impressed but I must say Bluetooth technology is one amazing thing!  

5. Purchase/make CDs

With the advent of Mp3 players, portable CD players are basically obsolete. Sometimes I make CD players for the car but it it much easier to upload a whole bunch of playlists to your ipod and connect your ipod to FM transmitter.

4. get lost

I try to figure out how I got around prior to services like GPS and google maps…and I honestly can’t remember. I now use google maps or hopstop for traveling nearly everywhere..I even use the street view option to scope out the location prior to going! It makes me a bit weary that I’m not as inclined to venture out without assistance as I once did. .

3. play outside

Many health organizations have attributed the growth in childhood obesity and subsequently early onset diabetes partially to significant decreases in activity. With video games, the internet, 1000 channels on cable, etc..more and more kids are leading a sedentary indoor type of lifestyle instead of running around and being active outside or on playing fields. (seeshhh, I just felt like I had to give one of my lectures lol)

2. spend more time face to face/personal interaction

There are so many examples of this --Employers use to say “come in and we can see what we can do”..now it’s “email me your resume” or “please fill out our online application” or take a loook at our overly-textulalized society .When the chance to make face to face contact is taken from us, so is our ability to make a personal impression.  We could also get into the realm of online dating here but that’s like a whole other blog!

1.Employ human beings

Personally sometimes I like automation, but the ugly truth about automation is that the more of it there is , the less actual people are being employed. Recently, CVS has started to use only self-checkout and believe me, the old ladies with bad eyesight and a million coupons are none too happy about it !

*ADDEDUM: Wikipedia can also be added to this list.

BONUS: remember when very few people used Apple product because it was seen as sub-par?!. ..yea, we all know how that eventually tuned out!

So, one of my good friend recently updated her facebook status and what it announced was attention-grabbing to say the least. For the sake of modesty, I won’t quote the status verbatim. But let’s just say that the update implied that while she was on a subway train, she witnessed an older man, umm…manually pleasing his female companion while their child slept in his stroller!. There is just so much wrong with this picture that’s its overwhelming.

New Yorkers are exposed to many things—some great, some not so great—and for the most part, we can deal. Some might say we have even become blind to the less glamorous sights of the city or even worse yet…we’re entertained by it. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve come across uploaded pictures or videos captured from cell phones of explicit things going on the streets and subways. What always gets me, besides the obvious graphic content, is that in the videos, you’ll just see many people going about their business like nothing is wrong even if the act is taking place only a few yards from them!. Are we really that jaded that we can casually brush off people using public transportation as their personal BOOM-BOOM room as just being “typical New York craziness.” Hmmm..I’d like to think we're a bit less callous than that!

That status update reminded me of a question about a similar scenario that I had posed to my best friend years ago. I asked him: if you saw two people having sex on the train car you were in, what would you do? What if there were kids around?

At first, he insisted that he joking and said: "I’d watch for a little bit!". Although not entirely convinced that he was kidding, I let him proceed with his answer, he shrugged and said: “Uhh, its not like anyone is in immediate danger so I don’t think I’d make that much if a deal out of it, I’d probably just move away or change cars. And as far as the children go, if they’re not mine..its not my responsibility to shield them from whatever may be happening—its their parent’s”

I don’t know exactly how I thought he would respond but I at least expected him to be less nonchalant--he responded as if I just asked him about the weather! I guess I was hoping he be a bit more incensed and do something more…proactive.  But then to really think about it, I guess it wasn’t realistic to think that someone would charge in there to pull the two apart as if they were the prudence  police. Frankly—I don’t know if I would be bold enough to do that myself—possibly if I was in a group, I would.  My immediate reaction would probably be to get off the train at the next stop or maybe inform the conductor if the scene was really causing that much of a disturbance or public safety issue. As uncomfortable and disturbing as the sight is to me, I still can’t help but to feel as if I don’t have a right to intervene. Weird huh?

If you witnessed a stranger or strangers engaging in sexual acts on the bus/train you were riding, how would you react?

I was perusing Datingish and I came across this particular post. If you didn't  get a chance to read it,  I'll summarize for you: the blog poster tells a story of a feamle friend of hers who was asked out by a guy. When it came time to pay the bill on the date, the guy asked her friend to go dutch. Not only does he do that, but he then uses a Groupon to pay for only his half of the date!  I couldn't believe what I was reading...I mean, seriously, is this really what the world is coming to?

Okay, I know people will argue times are hard and while I personally understand this, it seems like nowadays its getting to be an [overused] scapegoat that people use to excuse themselves from following dating etiquette. 

But anyway, lets backtrack once more to the post: seriously to use a coupoun ON A FIRST DATE is in ill taste! What makes it even worse is that he only used the coupon for himself so I'm sure that means he ended up paying close to nothing. I mean, If he was going to commit the major faux pas of using a coupon, why couldn't he at least mustered up enough manners to apply the discount to the whole check! 

I obviously don't know this guy personally so I can't speak of his financial status or his views when it comes to the standards of dating, so I couldn't possibly figure out the reason why he thought using the coupon was an acceptable move. If it was actually a money issue, why hadn't he just picked a place that he could more readily afford. I know that If I were a guy and I asked a girl out, I would make sure I went to a location where I knew I would be able to pick up the check for the both of us if need be. Anyhow, on a lighter note, my male best friend who dishes out hilarious although sometimes all-too-brutally honest advice theorized that what probably happened was that halfway through the date, the guy realized that he really wasn't into the girl. So, as a result, he just decided not only to use the coupon but not to pay for her as well since at that point, he did not care too much what she thought of him because he probably wasn't interested in seeing her again. My God!, if this was actually the case, i don't know if that makes the situation better or worse!  

Overall, I thought the whole article was laughable (not in the haha funny way, but more in the I have to laugh at the ridiculousness of something like this actually occurred type way) and even a bit disturbing. However, what really was eye-opening for me were the responses to the blog. But, on some level, I guess I shouldn't really have been that surprised because Datingish seems to be largely populated by people who have a more liberal stance on dating, dating non-traditionalists (DNT) if you will.  Anyway, back to what i was saying, many of the responders saw no fault in what the guy had done and several even ended up attacking the poster, labeling her as pretentious or 'after a free meal'. I really didnt think she should have been vilified as she was. Wanting a guy to act in a gentlemanly way and offer to pay the bill on a date does not immediately warrant her being called a gold digger. 

Honestly, a guy who offers to pay shows that he has has a sense of chivalry and decorum. Does that mean I think a guy who isn't willing to pick up the check is a horrible human being? no..of course not. I can't stress this enough: there is a HUGE difference between someone who is UNABLE to pay and someone who UNWLLING. If a guy is UNWILLING to pay for a least the first date or 2, like I said, I do not necessarily think he's a bad guy but more than likely he is not the guy for me because its an indication that our values don't match up. I am definitely a more traditional type of girl so I prefer a traditional guy who doesn't mind acting chivalrous. To me, especially on the first couple dates, its really about putting your best effort out there, so offering to pay the bill is a simple gesture that speaks volumes. Let me add that I have often gone dutch on dates esepcially if I know my date is stuggling financially, so it's not like I never make an exception. In those cases, I was okay with splitting the bill (or even paying the whole thing sometimes) because I knew that these guys, if they were more in a position to, would gladly pick up the check. The point being that the intent was there even if the ability wasn't. What absolutely boggles my mind is when guys, who do have the means to pay, are fundamentally and unapologetically against paying and/or have no intent or interest in paying for a date or worse yet, have the gull to do something as brassy as to use a coupon. Its like they're not even trying! This is admittedly quite a turn off.

It seems that nowadays, men who act like 'gentlemen' are antagonized or classified as being weak or as putting women on an [undeserving] pedestal. Treating women in a chivalrous manner does not in anyway make them weak or give women some kind of authority over them. If anything, those are the guys with power (I hate to even use that term because this isnt about forming a hierarchy!) because when a woman is made to feel special and taken care of, she'll basically do anything in return to show her appreciation ;)