Things are a changing!

[dutch]

You know when I was kid, I loved to play outside. As a matter of fact it was a punishment to be grounded and kept in. The neighborhood kids would get together to play baseball at a lot near by. It wasn't organized we just showed up after lunch and had a game. That was back in the days when we kept score. I guess winning was important? We loved to be called winners hated to be called losers so we tried harder to win. Don't know what we would have done if they called us participators?
A friend pointed out something to me a few weeks ago and I had to check it out myself. He and his wife had gone for a weekend drive just to get out of the house. In 2 hours they covered about 60 miles of quiet roads but for the fun of it they tried to count the number of kids outside playing in the yards. They got 5. So I had a slow day today and tried the same thing. I did a little better but in the same 2 hours and about 55 miles I counted 9.
Today it's about 68 degrees and partly sunny, even just enough breeze to fly a kite if you wanted.

This can't be a good thing, can it?

[Tao Dude]

I spent this morning sailing a 28' yacht with friends in the Bristol Channel off Cardiff, or Mor Hafren as they call it here in Wales (anglicised to the River Severn).

Not sure I would have learned to sail if they had affordable video games when I was a kid.

[dutch]

Oh a fellow sail buff! . I'm a few years from retirement and right now looking at a 32 footer to summer near my home in New England (Maine) USA and to winter by sailing to the Caribbean. If I time it right I'll miss the hurricanes and be able to hit the Mardi Gras in New Orleans (Louisiana). I have always loved sailing and seem to enjoy the solitude of the ocean. A bit sad I do better by myself then in the mix of society. Or at least seem to be happier.

But you've hit it right on the head. The game console or the phone is easy and mind numbingly entertaining. So they miss out on so much. As a boy my Grandfather taught me to track animals to tell one print from the other. My Father taught me how to make a fishing pole and catch fish behind our farm. My daughter was passed on some of these skills almost by force and never practices them so that knowledge will be lost with her. Once I'm gone and she's my age I'm sure she'll goggle it to find out "how to track"? They will explain insert your tracking number here and we will tell you the location of your package. (maybe)???

I guess every generation thinks they have something worthwhile to pass on to the next. Many times those we offer it to don't see the value. Or at least until it's too late. That is life! One last thing I'll mention. In my travels I've seen a difference in the society from one country to another. It use to be common say in the UK for a child to enter into the parents trade or business. Almost like you we're building on their shoulders to continue a tradition or get an advantage to get started in life. While here in America it seems we are expected to something totally different then our parents and of course move to a different location. They say the average American will live in 7 different locations through their adult life. So much for roots and the family home or home town pride! My grand daughter, daughter and myself are all living on land that has been in my family since 1946. We all moved away for a while, but one by one we returned to home. The sad part is I can't get them interested in my business, so what took me almost 40 years to build will be ending when I retire. I guess they have their own dreams to chase. Oh well, who would want to step into a turn key business with the owner willing to help until your up to speed. And have it given to you. Not my family! hehehe But in fairness, they have seen the hours and the stress I had to survive and it might be a better choice to just work for an hourly wage. At least you have few worries and no one demands much from you. Oh well.

[Shadowofmyself]

I'm not sure it's just games though. In my parents' time, they thought nothing about sending kids outside to play. Between legal and safety considerations, leaving young kids unsupervised now is considered a recipe for disaster.

[dutch]

Excellent points. I watched a group of youngsters "trick or treating" last year. An adult in the front holding a rope, with about 15 kids hanging on to it. Then an adult in the center followed by about 10 kids hanging on to the rope and an adult in the rear acting as tail gunner. Nothing like when I was a kid. We use to give out candy all night and enjoy the costumes and the kids. Now you wait for the "chain gang" to arrive. It's over in 5 minutes and you shut the lights off and go to bed. Don't even think of giving out a healthy snack like an apple or banana or it will have to be X-Rayed before the kid can have it. Anything home made might be poisoned. So all that gets thrown in the trash. Yeah we're either scared of our own shadows or the world has filled up with very bad people around every corner. Either way you look at it society has screwed up big time!!!!!!

[dutch]

Here's a good one to think about! I was watching a you tube video today about long range shooting. They showed some of the giant sniper rifles being used now, some even too large for the military! There were lots of big guys pulling triggers and getting kicked back in their seats by the guns. Maybe I'd of tried it once when I was young but it just looks painful now. Anyway the gentleman voicing the video went on to describe each one in detail and then said " If you want to try them in real life just go to " and he mentioned 4-5 shooter games that offer them for the player to use. Now is it just me or is it a little scary that maybe some folks have trouble telling "real life" from a video game????????

If I'm the one in error feel free to let me know, but I'm pretty sure BEW is a game right, were not all ending up with one of the girls????

If we are let me get my order in early

[infiniteignorance]

If I'm the one in error feel free to let me know, but I'm pretty sure BEW is a game right, were not all ending up with one of the girls????

If we are let me get my order in early

Faith is mine. I saw her first. And I will fight anyone for her.

[dutch]

Guess I'll have to settle for Azumi then if you've got Faith. But if she eats my soul in the middle of the night it's on you.

[dutch]

Here's a good indication of how things have changed. 30 some years ago I opened a small business. So the local news people from several papers dropped by to get the story. I gave a couple of interviews they took a few photos and said they would write it up and I see it in this addition of there paper. They did a great job. I think you could call them reporters? Fast forward 30 some years and my business passes a milestone serving it's 1,000,000 th. Customer. We are going to celebrate with gifts for the customer and thought a little mention in the papers might be nice. So as the day approaches, we let the papers know that as things are going on Tuesday we should reach that goal. None were interested enough to send someone by. But if I wrote up an article and took a few photos and e-mailed them in they would publish it. So when did I become a reporter and why do these folks get paid for sitting on their backsides????? Seriously today we seem to think being our own press agents is a cool thing. I was raised thinking to do a good job and others will notice. But I guess the world has changed. I mean how hard can it be to be a cop today? Guy robs a bank, takes a few selphies while he's doing it, duck lips and all, posts it to social media with a hash tag bragging it up and can't understand how he got caught????
Criminal mastermind!

Oh well, just my observations probably not important.