April 7, 2006

  • I'm writing this from Kirstin's house, where I'm babysitting Benjamin and Bryson while she is on a field trip to the Fort Worth Zoo with Bethie's class.


    There is a particular area where technological advances are nothing but a pain in the caboose, and that's the realm of television/VCR/DVD.  Once upon a time, many and many a moon ago, televisions were pretty dang simple.  Turn it on then turn the dial to the desired channel.  That's it.  Simplicity itself.  Anyone could work anyone else's TV.


    Nowadays, though, we have "entertainment systems." 


    And rotsa ruck trying to turn on a DVD at someone else's house!  Heck, the last time I was here I couldn't manage to get their TV off the blue-screen-of-death, never mind get a DVD to play.  Had better luck this morning, having managed to somehow get "Home Alone" to play; unfortunately when I went to increase the volume, I accidently hit the Channel + button.


    Back to the blue-screen-of-death.  Figured just hitting the Channel - button would correct the problem, but mercy Maud....of course not.  Scroll channels up, scroll channels down, it didn't matter.  Finally called Kirstin on her cell phone in some agitation; she suggested a couple of options, with hitting the power button on the VCR fixing it.


    Let's see.  I accidently hit the "channel up" button on the television, but the way to fix it was to hit the power button on the VCR?  Does this make any sense at all?


    Of course not.  Why should it?  None of the peculiar, unique workings of so-called "entertainment systems" are comprehensible to anyone other'n the owners of said systems.  And let's face it....even we get confused sometimes. 


    Technology!  HA! 

Comments (3)

  • I want to know when they are going to give us boomers a break and make the buttons larger, on both the machine and the remotes.  I just can't work the danged things without a microscope, practically. As if I could ever work them, a job I commonly leave to Rich or the kids.

  • Boy, that's the truth!  The buttons are tiny, and nowadays there's often no actual words to explain what each buttons' function is; instead there are teeny, obscure symbols.

    You should see me staring unhappily up at Kirstin's DVD, which sets up over my head, peering at those buttons in an attempt to figure out which one opens the darn thing. 

  • See? There are some benefits to being housebound - I don't have to figure out other people's home entertainment systems!

    Whoohoo!

    me<><

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