Reflektions... warning long rant

[Heo]

I made some reflections yesterday.Totally unrelated and borderline political
Me and the wife was to the next bigger town yesterday, and went in to one of
the big malls ( Side note The town is Luleå where the worlds first shopping mall was built by Ralph Erskine)
While the wife discussed eyelashes and whatever with the woman at the makeupstore i walked around in
the mall,to find someplace to have a coffee. There was esspressohouse,Wayne's coffee, and whatever with
Soya latte and crap like that, pastry and sandwiches you could not pronounciate the name on.
And some dork behind the counter called a barista thinking he was a superhero because he could make some ersatz coffee.
With a trendy interior that will be outdated by December
At the tables everybody stared at their smartphones with dead eyes like they where alone and abandoned.
Except for the gang of Somalians that sounded like a flock of fighting dogs
When i reached the other end of the mall the sun came out of the clouds angels started to play, there it was.
 
Börje Olssons Cafe´ established 1958, newly built not in fake retrostyle with rotten lumber, some rusty old license plates and
"patina" junk.
But like a cafe`was built in Sweden in the 50s with light wood paneling stainless and brass
When i lived in that town in the 80s,  i used to go to Olssons Cafe`that was in another place, i thought
they hade vanished a long time ago.  This was a bigger copy of the old place, with Real coffe not some made up
skimlattenuttastingsewerwater.
Pastry and sandwiches i could recognise and pronounciate not a smartpone in sight
people at the tables talking to each others with a smile at their face, in a voice that not was heard over the whole mall
The waitress behind the counter don't had lips like a duck and eyebrows like some one had wiped a dipstick from a diesel engine
across the forehead
Me and the wife sat down for a Salmon and egg sandwish and a danish and a real coffee it was like heaven. Smiling people that was
aware that there was a living world around them, not rotating around them
Call me anti progress if you like and if someone got offended or i stepped on someones toes i dont charge extra for that

[plovett]

I get it and I agree.   And those damn phones have made the world like living in the movie, Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

[cjshaker]

Put me in the anti-progress category. Every time we go out for dinner, I see couples sitting at their tables...staring into their phones. Standing in line the other day at a favorite local only fast food place, where the line gets really long because it's so popular, the guy in front of me wouldn't move up when the line moved. This kept people from being able to get through the doors. Why? Because he was staring into his phone. 2 people tried talking to him, he wouldn't respond because he wasn't even aware that anyone was talking to him. I started to walk around him 3 different times before he realized the line had moved and then he moved up...and started staring at his phone again, only to repeat the process over and over. This food place always had older people working there and always had great, fast and friendly service, until they recently went on a hiring spree to replace some people that had retired. Now you get slow service from pink/purple haired kids that act like they'd rather be home playing games, and you're just an inconvenience to them...while they half-ass slap sandwiches together and give you cold fries.   I won't even get into the mess about trying to get change back from using actual paper money and coins, from kids that can't do simple math. The dumbfounded look on their faces is almost priceless..lol

You've seen my house, Heo, so you know there's nothing new about it Mr. Foxwell argued that you couldn't live in a world without being surrounded by Chinese products. I wasn't going to argue with him because it didn't do any good, but he was wrong. I have 3 Asian made products, 1 TV (because my 35 year old U.S. made RCA TV was finally getting too weak to watch) and a computer with a big TV/monitor. My fridge and stove are both 1942 General Electric products and work perfect. My water heater is a 50 year old G.E. unit that still works fine. I burn wood for heat (cut with 2 German made Stihl chain saws, split by hand). Out of 6 licensed vehicles, I only have 2 now that are newer than 1976, 4 of them are FE powered and one is a U.S. made motorcycle. All stuff I can actually work on..lol 
End of rant.

[turbohunter]

Feel ya.
Just look at the list of our cars.
Though I appreciate being able to communicate with you all on this new fangled type writer we are typing on I would certainly rather do it face to face over a beer.
As for the new zombies..........my momma taught me if I don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.
Edit
Except to ask them to kindly get the “f” out of the way or stop yelling in to your phone while we are in a cafe at breakfast.

[Drew Pojedinec]

Meanwhile I recently had an engineering cadet from school. He was 23, motivated, intelligent, had a fantastic work ethic, etc. in all the ways that matter I considered him superior to myself. He was only lacking in experience, so I made it my mission for the two months I had him to fill his head with as much knowledge that I could, based on my 4,000+ days offshore.
I look forward to him one day being my boss (my lack of education will forever limit my ceiling)

Anyway, there are many many others out there that are just like this kid.
Could I have picked him apart to make myself feel better? Sure.
Could I have commented on his use of a cellphone on his time off? Sure.
What would it accomplish?
I live my way, other people live there way... I’m not so insecure to care what they do.

If you choose to base your views on the new generation via fast food workers and yuppies in coffee shops, I’m certain you will hold a negative view of them all.

Why not do something useful instead?  Find a kid that is interested in fixing up his car, teach them how to weld, or how an ignition system works. Teach them how to build something instead of buying it.
We are all the parents of this generation, we should act the part, and if this generation fails, well we really only have one direction to point the finger.

Good luck.

[Falcon67]

>And some dork behind the counter called a barista thinking he was a superhero because he could make some ersatz coffee.

LOL - I'm a network guy.  I run a large university network, routing, about 250 switches or so, 255 access points, 1000's of network clients.  Also run the ID card system for access control, meal plans, etc.  Complicated stuff.  Rewired the dragster, built the engine, fabbed several parts, sorted out the details, delay box, fiber links for dial in display, vacuum pump, fuel system, etc. Complicated stuff.

We put in a "Starbucks" in the university Library lobby area.  Sells a bunch of the goofy coffee and misc stuff.  (Vendi strawberry smoothie with milk and foam is a favorite vice but I'll drink Folgers thanks)  So I'm in there doing the network connections for the sale terminal and the IP phone, getting all connected back to the data center and what not.  Behind me is a lead barista for Starbucks doing a coffee data dump to the people that will run the stand. 

My stuff ain't complicated - COFFEE is COMPLICATED.  You can keep that, my head started to hurt just listening to all the requirements and how-tos.  The espresso machine required a specialist to be brought in from Dallas just to set it up and tune it.  "Coffee crew chief".

[BattlestarGalactic]

I too am turning into that "Grumpy old Man"..............wow.  Whoda thunk that would happen.

Yes, looking at the newest upbringings I have little hope for this world.  I'm sure my parents said the same thing about us.

I too am stuck in the 70's, but sure do appreciate a smart phone.  Geez, it is more convenient then a shirt pocket any more.  But it needs to have limitations.  We are turning into a Buck Rogers kind of world(remember that show?) right in front of our eyes.  Something that was such a "far, far away thing" back when we were much younger.

Just last night, went out to dinner at local place.  Young hostess was just on the edge of snotty.  She would smile and start out nice, then as any part of her job progressed she got "annoyed" and it showed.  She took us to our seats with a smile, but then threw the menus down and walked away and told us someone will be over with her back turned to us like she didn't have time to finish "her job" of seating us.  They weren't busy. 

Some time back I had to stop for a quick lunch while on the road.  I hit a Mcd's as a last resort.   The very tall young black male behind the counter was out of this world.  He greeted everyone as they walked up, telling you his name, asking for yours, asking how your day was and what would you like.  All with a great smile and very eager to wait on you.  I was thrown back.  I thanked him, as he did me after I got my meal.  If only EVERY young person was that happy to work and do their job the best they could.  They are out there.

The one thing I always try to do is THANK a person for doing a job.  Like at the race track, the poor person running the ticket shack, out in the middle of nowhere, all day, hot/cold, rain, miserable.  I typically have the car off, but even if still running I very loudly THANK THEM for the ticket with a smile on my face.  Even if I lost for some dumb reason, it is not their fault and I want to make sure they are thanked for a thankless job.

[falcongeorge]

Cell phones. Go back and re-read 1984, it should give you chills. Orwell under-estimated just how pervasive and all-seeing it was going to be. They don't NEED to hang it on your wall, they have you convinced that you gotta carry it in your pocket, and they convince you to pay for it as well. My guess is within my kids lifetime, the cops won't ask to see your ID, they will ask for your phone instead, and if you don't produce one, off you will go. Too political?

[falcongeorge]

Meanwhile I recently had an engineering cadet from school. He was 23, motivated, intelligent, had a fantastic work ethic, etc. in all the ways that matter I considered him superior to myself. He was only lacking in experience, so I made it my mission for the two months I had him to fill his head with as much knowledge that I could, based on my 4,000+ days offshore.
I look forward to him one day being my boss (my lack of education will forever limit my ceiling)

Anyway, there are many many others out there that are just like this kid.
Could I have picked him apart to make myself feel better? Sure.
Could I have commented on his use of a cellphone on his time off? Sure.
What would it accomplish?
I live my way, other people live there way... I’m not so insecure to care what they do.

If you choose to base your views on the new generation via fast food workers and yuppies in coffee shops, I’m certain you will hold a negative view of them all.

Why not do something useful instead?  Find a kid that is interested in fixing up his car, teach them how to weld, or how an ignition system works. Teach them how to build something instead of buying it.
We are all the parents of this generation, we should act the part, and if this generation fails, well we really only have one direction to point the finger.

Good luck.

Applause...very well said sir. I have a 9 yr old child, her and many of her classmates give me tremendous hope for the future, and they are about the only thing that does. We also had my wife's niece living with us and attending high school here as a foreign student. English as a second language, zero previous knowledge of our history, she was on the honour role at the end of her first year, and after three years, graduated with a substantial scholarship to a well known east coast university. Always kind, polite and respectful, and worked her ass off. It's not them that has created this royal cluster####, and allowed our and their rights to freedom and privacy to be thrown under the bus, it's US! One of your founding fathers pointed out that with democracy comes responsibility, and we failed miserably in taking care of that responsibility, and to reverse the effects of that is going to be a very long hard road. I'd better shut up before I get banned.

[cammerfe]

I am in agreement with all that's been said above, and I'm determined to be positive about all of it. God is in his heaven and all is going to be right with the world.

It all starts with being the best that YOU can be. Be thankful---show gratitude to all who cross your path. Find SOMETHING to smile about. It's contagious. Things aren't very good in North Korea, but there're signs it's getting better.

I'm going to be a Grandfather come Christmas. I have great hopes for her.

KS

[Heo]

Meanwhile I recently had an engineering cadet from school. He was 23, motivated, intelligent, had a fantastic work ethic, etc. in all the ways that matter I considered him superior to myself. He was only lacking in experience, so I made it my mission for the two months I had him to fill his head with as much knowledge that I could, based on my 4,000+ days offshore.
I look forward to him one day being my boss (my lack of education will forever limit my ceiling)

Anyway, there are many many others out there that are just like this kid.
Could I have picked him apart to make myself feel better? Sure.
Could I have commented on his use of a cellphone on his time off? Sure.
What would it accomplish?
I live my way, other people live there way... I’m not so insecure to care what they do.

If you choose to base your views on the new generation via fast food workers and yuppies in coffee shops, I’m certain you will hold a negative view of them all.

Why not do something useful instead?  Find a kid that is interested in fixing up his car, teach them how to weld, or how an ignition system works. Teach them how to build something instead of buying it.
We are all the parents of this generation, we should act the part, and if this generation fails, well we really only have one direction to point the finger.

Good luck.

Sure there is smart young people out there probably same percentage there always have been.
Im not racking down on the new generation. They are taken hostage by clever salesmans with out
knowing it.  The world have"progressed" to something i dont like

Is it progress when you have to have a smartphone to order food at a restaurant?  yes there is such a restaurant
my stepsons girlfriend sugested we should go and eat there?? you have to have a smartphone,load down
an app and then you order from the app what to eat at the restuarant you are seated at....Or i was at the lokal Volvo dealer
to buy a clip that hold the choke wire, Sorry cant sell you a clip beacuse our servers are down so i cant find it
How long is the servers down then?  Dont know maby to morrow or next day    30 years ago Gustavsson
should have thought 10 sec said the partnr, fetched the clip collected the payment with servers up, down, gone,
whatever. Thats not the kind of progress i want.
There is so much solutions looking for a problem out there. Like replacing a simple steelrod or wire with a bunch of
potentiometers and electrical servos and calling it progress. I call it stupid, but mayby im the stupid one. Im going to
continue to enjoy my stupidnes and hopefully learn some youngones to be even more stupid than i am

[cjshaker]

Meanwhile I recently had an engineering cadet from school. He was 23, motivated, intelligent, had a fantastic work ethic, etc. in all the ways that matter I considered him superior to myself. He was only lacking in experience, so I made it my mission for the two months I had him to fill his head with as much knowledge that I could, based on my 4,000+ days offshore.
I look forward to him one day being my boss (my lack of education will forever limit my ceiling)

Anyway, there are many many others out there that are just like this kid.
Could I have picked him apart to make myself feel better? Sure.
Could I have commented on his use of a cellphone on his time off? Sure.
What would it accomplish?
I live my way, other people live there way... I’m not so insecure to care what they do.

If you choose to base your views on the new generation via fast food workers and yuppies in coffee shops, I’m certain you will hold a negative view of them all.

Why not do something useful instead?  Find a kid that is interested in fixing up his car, teach them how to weld, or how an ignition system works. Teach them how to build something instead of buying it.
We are all the parents of this generation, we should act the part, and if this generation fails, well we really only have one direction to point the finger.

Good luck.

I work around a group of people that have to run heavy equipment and know how to do basic hand work that requires nothing but basic skills. Nobody they've hired in the last 10 years, and there are lots of them, mostly aged 20+, even comes CLOSE to meeting these requirements. And finding someone that wants to learn? Umm, hasn't happened in a long time.

Why do you think it's exciting for you to find that kid that you spoke of? Because he's a rarity these days. I don't give a crap what somebody does on their own time, or how they do it, but we're talking about basic service and dealing with people on a daily basis. If you think that hasn't changed over the years, then you've been spending way too much time off land, Drew. Parts store counter people are another good example. We all know about that...

Talk to business owners and see what they say about finding good help, in ANY job, not just fast food. Of course this doesn't apply to 100% of the people out there, but in general terms, the workforce has changed, and not for the better. Where I work, once the people retire who have 25-30+ years in, they are gonna be in trouble. None of the newer people can even safely run a basic tractor, and they don't even have the ability, or desire, to learn. There are 3 basic jobs where I work, excluding specialty jobs like mine; Housekeeping, Grounds and Maintenance/HVAC. Every job classification is hurting right now. They can't even get people to show up regularly. They accept daily what was never acceptable when I started in the workforce. I would love to pass on my experience and knowledge, if I had the opportunity.

[Drew Pojedinec]

Heh, I do spend too much time on water, it’s true.

That said in the little time I do have, I currently have five kids under 21 that stop by to learn stuff.
One has this crappy Chevy. He knows it’s a pos but it’s his. So I show him how to weld sheet metal.
The other kid is fascinated with wood working and asked his family for donations toward a lathe for Xmas.
Another is my daughters boyfriend’s brother. He’s planning on coming down from Virginia to spend “summer camp” time in my shop next year.

I just have trouble believing that with me only spending a few months a year on land, working in my shop those few months, and being an ornery misanthrope, that I can find these kids in desolate South Georgia.
Maybe it’s different elsewhere. No matter, I was just trying to find the best in our species.

[Heo]

>And some dork behind the counter called a barista thinking he was a superhero because he could make some ersatz coffee.

LOL - I'm a network guy.  I run a large university network, routing, about 250 switches or so, 255 access points, 1000's of network clients.  Also run the ID card system for access control, meal plans, etc.  Complicated stuff.  Rewired the dragster, built the engine, fabbed several parts, sorted out the details, delay box, fiber links for dial in display, vacuum pump, fuel system, etc. Complicated stuff.

We put in a "Starbucks" in the university Library lobby area.  Sells a bunch of the goofy coffee and misc stuff.  (Vendi strawberry smoothie with milk and foam is a favorite vice but I'll drink Folgers thanks)  So I'm in there doing the network connections for the sale terminal and the IP phone, getting all connected back to the data center and what not.  Behind me is a lead barista for Starbucks doing a coffee data dump to the people that will run the stand. 

My stuff ain't complicated - COFFEE is COMPLICATED.  You can keep that, my head started to hurt just listening to all the requirements and how-tos.  The espresso machine required a specialist to be brought in from Dallas just to set it up and tune it.  "Coffee crew chief".

Well ...out of that i understod...Dragster and Folgers, the rest made my head hurt   And i prefer my Coffe boiled over open fire out in the woods.  I wounder if the coffe crew chief can start a fire out in the woods in pouring rain

[Heo]

Cell phones. Go back and re-read 1984, it should give you chills. Orwell under-estimated just how pervasive and all-seeing it was going to be. They don't NEED to hang it on your wall, they have you convinced that you gotta carry it in your pocket, and they convince you to pay for it as well. My guess is within my kids lifetime, the cops won't ask to see your ID, they will ask for your phone instead, and if you don't produce one, off you will go. Too political?

In Sweden they have started this "voulonter" test with a microchip implanted under the skin.
Ohh its so convenient to pay traintickets, and for your safety and bla bla bla. There is actually
people that are that stupid that they do it. And when they have enough that had done it they
will make it mandatory for everyone...For our own security of cause, if you get lost they can find you
and you don't need your ID with you, how convenient.... . and top that with self driving cars and cash
is not usable any more.....Then we are slaves under the rulers.....