[Albion] When did modern life ‘defeat’ you?

[BlockDpete]

Music

Like most here, I have no idea who is in the Top 40 singles, or indeed album chart.
Still love music though ,and discovering new stuff. Listen to CD's and vinyl , plus now using Spotify and a bit of downloading.
Love getting out to gigs, plus even went to a 3 day festival recently. Would have liked to camp, but everyone else preferred more comfortable accommodation.
I've now started to learn to play the guitar, so makes me enjoy music even more.

Books.
Just got back into reading books. Actual books to, as not really considered on line. Currently reading Bruce Springsteens "Born to Run"

Television.
Don't know really, have gone off watching it, as prefer radio. Do like Newsnight, mainly to keep up with whats happening. Oh and the Albion when they are on MoTD.

Cinema
Seemed to have lost touch with what's on, so rarely go. Would also mean going on my own, which I'm not sure about.

Social Media
Yes, do use Facebook and Twitter. I do try and minimise this as one of my bugs of modern life, is seeing people sat down bent over their phones.

Games
Not interested really, as spend most of my working life in front of a screen.

I think modern life had as many advantages as its does bad stuff. It's just how you choose to react to it.

 

[Brovion]

... but surely you know that a Penalty gives the Striker a great chance to score from 10.9728 Meters, with only the keeper to beat?

I didn't. And I had to google to find out that a goal is 7.32 metres wide and 2.44 metres high.

Foreigners who don't know the origins of football and/or don't know that Britain, with our miles and pints, has never adopted the metric system 100% must wonder why on earth such weird measurements were chosen.

 

[Weststander]

Modern life hasn't defeated me, I'm still dealing with it fine and still learning new things. (And to love and appreciate new things and new technologies). Also my mum is 86 and is as wedded to her mobile as any teenager, so I don't recognise the 'old people only use mobiles in emergencies' stereotype.

I will admit though to being pissed off and disillusioned with politics and what passes for political 'debate' in this era. (And I'm not just talking about MPs). Not sure if that counts as being 'defeated', but I've certainly disengaged from it.

I'm 61 BTW

You're not the only one disillusioned by the approach to politics by non-politicians. BBC2's new Politics Live yesterday discussed the aggression, threats and bitchiness about looks and clothing style from internet trolls towards politicians of the left, centre and right, and towards political journalists. As a direct result, many of them simply now make their own posts on twitter etc, and point-blank NEVER read replies/comments from the public. In theory the internet has opened discussion and democracy, but the spiteful haters have inadvertently led to less listening.

 

[Bodian]

I think it's one thing 'knowing' the metric system as a series of abstract facts (how many centimetres in a metre for example, or knowing that liquid is measured in litres) and another thing relating to it. I sympathise with Perfidious . I know roughly how long a foot is, how far a mile is and what a pound of sausages looks like. I could measure them out without recourse to scales, tape measures, etc. I wouldn't get them spot on but I'd be in the ballpark. Ask me to do the same thing with metres, kilometres and kilograms and I wouldn't be able to estimate nearly so accurately. Could probably make a good guess at a litre of water though.

"A litre of water's a pint and three-quarters"
"A metre measures three foot three, it's longer than a yard you see"
From the back of Cornflake packets in the 1970s.

But you're right, we all have a mixture of odd bit and bobs. I tend not to have much trouble with metres, centimetres and use them alongside inches, yards and miles quite happily and fairly interchangeably (that is, I know what one means in the other [roughly] without having to work it out) - but I have never really got to grips with centigrade, I think it's because the range is too small.

I have a wind-up (pocket) watch, and use fountain pens - but also do quite like digital cameras, photo software, NSC, and so on. Ironically I first realised that the internet was generally a 'good thing' when I used it to find a replacement chrome dial for my bakelite phone! I haven't yet got a mobile, and someone recently asked me in a puzzled fashion 'how do you talk to your wife?'. I replied that I simply waited until I/she got home....

 

[zefarelly]

Except the tastiest freshest and most interesting bread isn't an option.

Spotify in my view is the greatest thing since sliced bread.

 

[Petunia]

I didn't say you were wrong, but house sitting is quite common amongst my group of friends.

That sounds like a great arrangement you have then, it must work well and give peace of mind to the holidayers.

Sounds like a nice set-up, but doesn’t it concern you that your friends will go through your stuff and discover all your sex toys and outfits?

I’d prefer to just set the alarm and not advertise the house being empty.

When we first moved to Australia we didn’t want to stay with family the whole time until we were in a position to buy our own home.

We did 3 housesittings. We looked after 2 golden retrievers on the first, 2 cats on the second and a black ‘bitza’ for an 8 week stint on the third. It’s a great arrangement as you get free accommodation and the owners get their home and pets looked after while they are away. There are quite a few websites where you can register and some people travel the world housesitting!

And no, we didn’t go hunting for personal sex toys or anything else that wasn’t our concern.

 

[Raleigh Chopper]

Exactly. Snapchat is purely for teenagers/young adults. Anyone over 22 using Snapchat is a bit creepy IMO

If Snapchat was abolished tomorrow the lives of a lot of older people with kids would become one hell of a lot easier.
Snapchat is nothing more than online bullying when the school gates have closed.
Snapchat, Facebook Twitter etc is communication for morons

 

[Lindfield by the Pond]

I miss Ceefax

 

[bhafc99]

I miss Ceefax

Ah, the days when you could 'watch' a football match or cricket game by patiently waiting for the pages to scroll round again to see if a goal had been scored or wicket taken...

 

[sams dad]

"A litre of water's a pint and three-quarters"
"A metre measures three foot three, it's longer than a yard you see"
From the back of Cornflake packets in the 1970s.

You have omitted the third one :
“ Two and a quarter pounds of jam, weigh about a kilogram”

 

[Mo Gosfield]

Ah, the days when you could 'watch' a football match or cricket game by patiently waiting for the pages to scroll round again to see if a goal had been scored or wicket taken...

At least there was some detail on Ceefax. Goalscorers/minutes...full cricket scorecards etc. The BBC red button service just gives the most basic detail....THE SCORE........thats it.......nothing else.

 

[Brovion]

"A litre of water's a pint and three-quarters"
"A metre measures three foot three, it's longer than a yard you see"
From the back of Cornflake packets in the 1970s.

But you're right, we all have a mixture of odd bit and bobs. I tend not to have much trouble with metres, centimetres and use them alongside inches, yards and miles quite happily and fairly interchangeably (that is, I know what one means in the other [roughly] without having to work it out) - but I have never really got to grips with centigrade, I think it's because the range is too small.

I have a wind-up (pocket) watch, and use fountain pens - but also do quite like digital cameras, photo software, NSC, and so on. Ironically I first realised that the internet was generally a 'good thing' when I used it to find a replacement chrome dial for my bakelite phone! I haven't yet got a mobile, and someone recently asked me in a puzzled fashion 'how do you talk to your wife?'. I replied that I simply waited until I/she got home....

Ha! I actually hadn't heard the litre one before, thanks! (Or more likely, I had heard it but have long forgotten it). Yeah like you I tend to use a mixture. I'm quite happy with litres as apart from beer in pubs and the milk on my doorstep, all other liquids seem to be metric and I can relate to them. I also use centigrade more that Fahrenheit (not sure why, think we did it at school). Can't get on with Euromiles (kilometres) though. I know they're less than 'our' miles but that's about it. Again as we don't use them here I've had no reason to get to grips with them.


EDIT: And a nod to 'Sams dad' as I'd definitely never heard the 'jam' one before!

 

[Fungus]

Have you tried walking football? I've met guys your age that still play that regularly and thoroughly enjoy it.

Yeah, my 50+ group has a few guys in their 70s, the oldest is 78. We still get stuck in far too much, roll around on the floor occasionally, and give each other a lot of stick. Many haven't played for 35 years, and it's a real light-bulb moment when they realise they CAN join in again!

 

[raymondo]

When my son's first words were...'google, google, goo...'

 

[raymondo]

and talking of weird imperial measurements, just to let you all know that an acre=(a furlong)X(a chain) ie 4840 (square yards)=220(horse racing measure ) X 22(yards between cricket stumps).
Demonstrating that British imperial measures are infinitely more interesting that boring old metric!!!

 

[Gary Leeds]

The metric system is scarcely new to the modern world. We were taught in metric exclusively from 1968 - the government having agreed a ten year bedding-in period in 1965. In 1975, the Metrication Act was passed so, while people over 70 may struggle with metrication, the rest of us should be able to handle it with ease.

So if that is the case why do we have a 70mph speed limit on the motorways and not a 110kph? Im 47 and all through my childhood it was a pound of veg, 2 oz of sweets, or now I walk into a pub and order a pint, yet we talk about the weather being 30 degrees outside but our body temperature is 98 degrees. If we cant stick to one system and keep mixing them up how is anyone supposed to remember them all?

 

[sussex_guy2k2]

Yeah, my 50+ group has a few guys in their 70s, the oldest is 78. We still get stuck in far too much, roll around on the floor occasionally, and give each other a lot of stick. Many haven't played for 35 years, and it's a real light-bulb moment when they realise they CAN join in again!

That's really good to hear. It's such a good idea I think.

 

[Bodian]

So if that is the case why do we have a 70mph speed limit on the motorways and not a 110kph? Im 47 and all through my childhood it was a pound of veg, 2 oz of sweets, or now I walk into a pub and order a pint, yet we talk about the weather being 30 degrees outside but our body temperature is 98 degrees. If we cant stick to one system and keep mixing them up how is anyone supposed to remember them all?

Bit like going to the builders' yard to buy a metre of two by four (inches). Happens!

 

[cheshunt seagull]

I don't think my thumbs and fingers were designed to do anything complex on a smartphone. I was forced to give up on an attempt to register and pay for parking online at the kerbside near Church Road recently.

 

[pearl]

I pretty much take each day as it comes. Today I feel sh*t because I've just returned from a trip up North and have picked up an annoying virus, but it will pass.
I still go to see bands. I play CDs and listen to the radio (usually R6).
I no longer go to away games
I don't watch much TV, but quite like detective dramas.
I buy books
Urrrgh, this is starting to feel like WLTM

Oh my auntie sends me text messages to make sure I'm OK. She is 87