Sunday, July 22, 2007

On Laziness & Technology

So there I was brushing my teeth with my $4 disposable vibrating toothbrush when the battery came to a sudden halt.

Well now how I am supposed to brush my teeth? I thought.

And then, as if by instinct or divine intervention (possibly both), my right hand proceeded to move in circular patterns -- up and down --

Ever so slowly.

Ah, yes, I thought. I remember this.

16 comments:

ds said...

good reflexes. have you thought of getting into politics? that kind of quick tempered thinking makes careers. you know, I'd wager that if a few more folks in d.c. had your sort of instincts, we might be sitting a little prettier right now. I think with that sort of response to crisis you've pretty much alienated yourself from local involvement. I think you're ready for the nationals. big election coming up. would really like to see someone on the bill I could get behind. let me know how it pans out. I could get a petition going here. sure I could round up some of the old gang to sign on. ok, I probably couldn't because I don't talk to anyone. anyone. but I bet xoxo could do it.

this is what happens on gin and muscle relaxers. I shouldn't gin and muscle relaxers. I can't even smile right now. later

ds

Glencross said...

When the floods hit the UK last month we lost all electrical power for 4 days. Great, I thought, no TV or internet for a bit will do us good - we'll read books by candle-light, listen to the wind-up radio, and talk about stuff.

That was really cool for the first few hours, then I realised how much I like electricity.

Anonymous said...

*jaw drops* OK, I can see it. If you get used to tech doing one thing, you forget about how we did it in the good old days. I mean, what did we do when we needed to find something out before Google?
~BPP

thirdworstpoetinthegalaxy said...

ds - Vote for me in 2016.

thirdworstpoetinthegalaxy said...

GC - Yeah, a couple hours I can handle just fine. Four days, and I grow a bit restless.

Still, can't help but wonder how unhealthy this reliance is...

thirdworstpoetinthegalaxy said...

BPP - Encyclopedia Brittanica at the library? Reading newspapers? Dewey Decimal? Map reading? Compasses? Sunsets?

Certainly a far cry from having everything at our fingertips.

Anonymous said...

I have a back up just in case something like that happens to me.

Woodrow said...

Ha!

I agree. Technology is making us dumber.

thirdworstpoetinthegalaxy said...

Winter: As do I. I just didn't have the energy to go get it, mid-brushing. Besides, the bristles were in good shape. Seemed a waste to throw it out.

Still, this serves as an important reminder to other such users: keep an emergency toothbrush on you at all times.

thirdworstpoetinthegalaxy said...

Woodrow - Or, if nothing else, increasingly more self-insufficient.

Michael K said...

I had a similar episode with my razor the other day. It's a Gillette Fusion Power razor. It's not enought that it has 5 blades on the front, precision blade on the back, and it looks like a space ship but it also vibrates to send micro pulses to my face or some shit like that. When it stopped vibrating the other day, I felt like a cave man.

loofrin said...

Emerson would be proud, you self-reliant person, you!

Cup said...

Technology has a beautiful way of dumbing us down, doesn't it?

Anonymous said...

I fear that Ned Ludd lived in vain. Of course I am the guy who was mostly OK being snowed in for three days because I still had internet.
~BPP

Alijah Fitt said...

You manually brushed your teeth? You are weird.

DuffPaddy said...

I had a similar experience a few months back when I pressed the key fob to unlock my car and nothing happened; evidently, the battery was dead. I must've stood there scratching my head and weighing up the options for about two or three minutes before finally asking myself "why don't you just put the key in the bloody lock?". Fortunately, no-one around seemed to notice my extreme dumbness.

Hello, BTW! Nice blog, nice photos.