Sorry my one and only reader, Lucy, but there will be no blog on Sunday due to technical issues and stuff. Stuff is important sometimes so stuff is happening and my reader is also involved in stuff too.
I hope to indulge you on Thursday with another blog topic so till then have fun and be safe.
If you have an idea of a topic, nothing too intellectual or complicated as I’m not too learned, let me know otherwise it’s my imagination you get.
Laters.
A picture can paint a thousand words, or that’s what I am lead to believe and looking below probably echoes this but behind this calm scene of setting sun and lush field one knows it won’t last forever; except in photographic form.
I’ve been struggling about writing about this next topic for some time and the gadget theme was a pleasing distraction; but a distraction only as this subject is seldom far from my thoughts.
“Depression” “The Black Dog” “The Blues” “”suicidal Sid” “The Dark Place”
Call it what you will I am sure that many or most either have been there, are there, know someone there or could go there and possibly the unanimous opinion is that its CRAP!
If you are looking for answers or help just move on now as I for one do not have any cures or quick fixes. I only know how I cope or don’t more to the point. So sorry.
This isn’t about asking for pity or help. Its not even my plan for others to feel guilty for not being able to help or realising a problem exists. It’s just sharing news and views.
I have always wondered if it was only me and have battled over the years to try (often with little or no success) to control my emotions. Where do they come from?
I know one cannot be happy, funny, exciting, mysterious, the leader of the pack or interesting all the time and we all have bad days. Thats just plain normal. But going from happy to soul-crushingly depressed is just unbearable and hard.
The more you fight against it the deeper you find yourself spiralling down into the depths of despair, self loathing, hatred for others and jealous of the green grass in the neighbouring field.
What triggers these black periods? Any number of things. A snide comment at work by a bully (From I’m not a bully in the work-place), a TV program, a piece of music, a news item, confrontation when out and about, an argument with loved ones, a rejection, a reflection, too much booze or just a simple switch that comes from nowhere. In other words anything, everything or something can cause the dark cloud to descend.
Yes okay “just get over it and man up” is easy to say for those who don’t suffer but for those reading thus far it is far from that simple, I am sure you will agree and its that sort of comment that can set the blue funk even thicker.
I hate it. I loath what impact it has on friends and family. I despise having to put colleagues though my pain. And most of all I abhor the wasted energy and time spent carrying around the unwanted black dog. There is no thing that is good.
How come I’m still here? Well thats an interesting question.
My only answer is Luck or being lucky.
Lucky that I have very considerate friends and family. Lucky that somehow I have been able to find a small glimmer of light that has drawn me out. Lucky that on reflection my problems haven’t been that bad (even though at the time they appeared life-ending). Lucky that my personality is slightly stronger, when it matters most, than my demons. Lucky that I have a stable routine and have had a loving childhood and education. Lucky that I have had just enough funds to feed, clothe, home and clean myself. Lucky to I was able to admit I have had problems and need a bit of help.
As I said before I don’t have any answers but certain things help. These are just pertinent to me but some may also find them useful.
I find a routine helpful as it builds a stable foundation for living. You don’t have to worry what you are going to do as it’s the same as you always do. Boring yes but comfortable. Planning and list-making (Lucy knows all about lists, well my lists anyway). Research and comparisons can lead to stress-free decision making. Most of all talking to someone, and it often is just that talking TO someone rather than chatting, about what is on your mind.
Taking a hobby. It sounds easy enough and is great to keeping away from the precipice. I for one love reading, history, cycling, television, quizzes, cooking and technology (as testament through my many offerings will show).
But the best place is when I meet up with my true old friends and laugh. Its such a safe place to be. No work, life or bills trouble. Just the comfort of having unconditional love and companionship. The rock of support without actions or words. To be one’s self without reason. I told you I was “lucky”.
As I get older and maybe wiser it should be expected that markers and signs should warn one of the approaching dangers or depression but they don’t. I say don’t as a sweeping statement and its a bit inaccurate really. I do see them sometimes but it depends how strong and stable I feel in the first placeas to whether I can deal with them. Vuneralabilty is never easy to guard against. One thing I am certain of is it will hit again and hopefully I will have the means to hurdle the situation.
So the tools required to help with depression?
They will differ for everyone but some may be useful to all.
Friends and family. Talking about things. Hobbies and interests. Routine. Calm places to retreat to and reflect in. Seeking help from doctors, vicars, or work colleagues. Sleep (enough sleep but not too much). Exercise and healthy eating. Stopping to notice life and the nice things in nature. Life and the belief (and I mean truly believing the feelings and problems won’t last forever) that you can overcome situations. And the big one. Sort out the little problems (and be honest to yourself that there is a problem) before they escalate into something uncontrollable.
Try not be think you are alone and don’t give up. Its only a state of mind.
For some the next few paragraphs will bring relief and happiness for I feel the time has come to wrap up the technology theme and move onto pastures new.
Its been really great to touch on the many impacts that innovation has played in our lives and gradually things have changed beyond the average imagination.
One example of this was when I watched the recent offering of “Goodnight Sweetheart” (staring Nicholas “Rodney you plonker”Lyndhurst). It showed him coming from 1962 London to 2016 London via a time-travelling hole in the time system fabric or something like that.
Imagine it!! You come straight from a time of dull colours, straight-laced haircuts, clothes and architecture of browns and greys, with gramophones, wired phones and basic media to today where old tenements and shops are clean parades of internet cafes, smart phones in everyone’s hand, bright clothing and things that talk to you.Haircuts are individual and wierd. Cars are sleek and rounded with more technology and gadgets than one could imagine. Watches that can receive texts and one can talk into. Tiny headphones that would just look like strange ear plugs and mobile phone shops.Phone boxes have been converted into cash machines (they are new too) or baristas. And that’s just what to experience in the first few minutes of landing in this year.
We take all this for granted because the changes have been small, subtle and gradual. We would also find it extremely difficult to go back not just for convenience sake but economically and socially as computers and gadgets have taken the place of needing so many of the shops, workers, spaces and time.
If one had the money and the inclination and the ability to create their own home it could be truly amazing.
Automated gates and video cameras to alert and help visitors and the owners to the front door. Robots to cut the grass and a watering system worked out and implemented by the home computer. Cars that park themselves (which have also driven you driverlessly) into the luxury heated garages. All this before you even get through the bluetooth door lock and alarm system. Already on is the heating or air conditioning along with the lights, kettle, oven and hot water all controlled by your smartphone and the window you like opening in the bedroom when you go upstairs is gliding into the open position via the Ap.
The carpets and windows are spotless thanks to the clever robots employed to take care of those niggly chores and as one uses milk and other comestibles you are safe in the knowledge that a message has been sent to the supermarket to deliver the next shopping order right to your home.
As one walks round the house, doors open on approach and lights magically turn on and off. The media system brings up TV programmes or music choices at the command of your voice and when bored with that then the computer or tablet can connect one via a video call to a friend half way round the world. One can also plug into the game console to play whatever the latest viral game is taking over the world of gamers.
So off upstairs to remove the self-tying shoes and stab-proof fabric clothing, set the shower via another phone Ap and undress to wash under the massaging water.
Then its offto the vitual indoor gym where a bicycle is set up so simmulate the ride out on the road or cross country route that is desired and the same goes for the running treadmill, the rowing machine and climbing wall. Fitness has never been so safe or technical.
So gadgets really are all around us and are gradually integrating into our lives without us realising so much.
The one or two major challenges for ALL technology is battery size and ability to hold a charge and data memory and size.
Most mobile gadgets like the phone, watch, tablet, laptop, car, robotic mower/vacuum, radio or say, defibrillator rely on a battery and these are restricted to size and the ability to hold charge and give lengthy use is very limited but breakthroughs are on the horizon (yippeee). Data memory and size is also another bugbear as more power is needed to run the complicated programs and greater storage is required to save photos, videos, music, written documents and lists of things. Again there are backup systems being looked into or available now to ease this.
But CRACK these two issues and our technology and gadgets could see no bounds.
As for automated everything such as cars, work, humanoid robots and flight well lets just wait and see.
I have been around for fifty years this September 20th 2016 and have certainly seen a massive change in the way we live and interact. Some brilliant ((how did we manage before?) and some downright absurd ( how can we manage with that?). Whatever the scenario it has all changed and only one’s imagination and patience will tell what the next fifty years will bring but make a note of what you see now and compare it to then; in the future.
You may just be amazed!!
We all live in our own little spaces whether it be a mansion, a small house, a bus, a cardboard box, a tent or a mud hut.
We all have our things and we all call our spaces “home” and defend those spaces. “get orf moiy land!!!”
But have you ever considered about the changes that have taken place in the home (and more importantly in the kitchen and cleaning and decoration environments along with the garden), even in relatively recent years?
I have shared my limited wisdom about television, music, art, computers and entertainment technology but now want to take you into the realm of home help.
Why? Why not! I just would like to.
In the kitchen when I was a wee little boy we had a coke fired back boiler for heating and hot water, a sink and an oven (which my parents still have 50+ years on and working in some areas; basically its scrap but dad won’t chuck it.)). Yes there was a kettle and a toaster but that was about it.
Look in any modern kitchen today and its a whole different world of beeps, flashing lights, shiny this and that, electronics and gadgets.
Some sit proudly on the work surfaces (often only when new) but usually they clutter up cupboards and shelves (after being used once) as they weren’t the help that one thought they would be.
There is a however to this story though. Gadgets and Technology can help in the home and garden. Take the modern cordless vacuum. Would you really want to go back to beating the carpet with a thing that looked like a floppy tennis racket? Or does it float your boat to sharpen the scythe or hand shears to trim the hedge or thicket of stingers? How about mixing the cake batter by hand with a big spoon, does that fill you with joy? Better still is having the skin on your hands chapped and burned a fact that causes delight or is the washing machine a God-send?
If the answer to the above is no then more than likely you have bought into the modern world and invested in a vacuum cleaner, a strimmer, a mixer and other such labour-saving devices and this my “friend” is technology.
There are more exciting things going on though. The modern oven, fridge, washing machine and freezer can all use the microchip technology to talk to the cloud so when one runs low on powder, fishfingers and milk then an order can be automatically place with the supermarket to bring it to your door.
Bread makers can be filled and set so the morning loaf is ready for that breakfast time experience and fill the home with that fresh bread smell so coverted by estate agents when showing prospective buyers round. Just add a percolator for the coffee,which can be turned on using an AP from the phone, and the home smell acolade is yours.
The Smart-Phone certainly does play a massive part in our daily lives.
Ovens can be set to talk to a smarphone AP so recipes and cooking times can be employed.
We have light bulbs, burglar alarms, vacuums, heating thermostats and all sorts now that can be controlled by a tablet or phone using “The Hive” or “The Internet of Things Connected” which is mind boggling. Even the humble door lock can be blue tooth enabled to allow a phone or card to access the loock rather than having to carry a separate bulky key. I mean how rediculous is it to carry a key?
Even more surprising is the use of glass. It can be just that a glass window but put it in the hands of a technology company and they can produce panes that can become mirrors at the push of a button or opaque so as to frost over to stop glaring light or nosey parkers from ruining your day.
Want a warm home? No problem. Install underfloor heating. Sorry thats old hat. The Romans did that with their Hypocaust heating system several thousand years ago but we can use modern methods to power it; so there Mr Roman.
Robots can cut the grass, polish the floors, clean the windows and prepare and cook a basic meal in the ultra modern home and one day will form part of our daily needs. Possibly a modern version of Jeaves but a far better option than having to employ dodgy home-help that will snoop a steel as soon as your back is turned.
In the kitchen there is a gadget for almost everything from pealing spuds to opening a can of beans and I mean everything. If we bought them all then we would need another room just to store the gadgets and then would need a robot to find the one best suited for the job in hand but there again if one had a robot then it could do the job instead of the gadget or maybe “it” would use the gadget that we used to. Enough of that. Lets justt wait and see hey?
But do we need it all? I like making bread by hand but sometimes its convenient to use a machine. But… try living without a fridge or freezer, experience life bereft of a modern oven/hob, break your back scything the grass and get arm ache holding the toasting fork with your unevenly sliced piece of bread towards the fire. Now ask yourself that very question. YES YES YES we do!!
But granted we don’t need it all. Once again it boils down to balance and what is right for the individual.
Art is everywhere and has been around since the dawn of time; well at least since people used colour to adorn walls and things and possibly themselves, oh and make things, which is a very long time indeed.
But art isn’t just drawing!!! No it is not….Its about expression and joy and wanting to share. Art is in music, painting, writing, sculpture, dance and filming. It plays a part in cooking, selling, shopping and work even the way we look and communicate.
So you could say that art is in everything and in all that we see and do…You may be right but as I am not a professor in this subject I only have my judgement to go on so please accept my humble apologies if I happen to be wrong.
“Oiy!! I thought these here blogs were about technology and gadgets?” My reader in the single asks.
“I know it sounds daft but the thread does indeed carry on in this arena of expression through the arts. So please be patient.”
Lets try and look at it from a technology angle then.
Until recently things, like most areas in life, didn’t change much. Styles may have and fashions definitely did but on the whole the mediums employed and displayed remained quite steady and quietly (sometimes loud processes of prodution made it noisy) traditional.
Then came along dramatic inventions such as the camera, the printing press, electricity and sound recording. All had a huge influence on what was produced, how we could interact and where it could be enjoyed.
But this was still just an infant beginning to find its way.
Along came technology in a big way in the latter part of the twentieth century and now artists have all manner of ways to express themselves and share their work.
Digital photography, a swear word or phrase to some, allows manipulation of a subject to create images that would have been impossible before and to some that is so exciting they will loose their trousers. Others though will still want the purity and honesty of the pre-digital age as that is where the skill is in their eyes and certainly want to keep their trousers firmly on. You make the choice on which camp you stand in.
Then there is the quite modern tablet computer and these can now be used to draw and artificially paint as one would on a traditional canvas. The differences are that things can easily be changed and altered and one doesn’t have to have an entire room full of easels, paints, dirty pots and brushes and all the other paraphernalia that goes with actually painting something. Again not for all but a worthy contender in todays busy society. But its your choice yet again as to where your loyalty lays.
Modern printing and up to date materials also allow the budding imaginations to produce textilies and ornaments that twenty years ago would have been laughed at. Its not just that humourous lettering or image that adorns so many t-shirts around the streets but one can actually print three dimentional objects; yes objects that can be displayed as art or used as building or usable things. Take measurements from all around yourself and feed that data into a computer and you could find yourself staring at a life-sized printed model of you. Now that would be nice wouldn’t it?
Lets not forget advertising. Is that actually art? I certainly think so as its an artist or designer who has to think and produce the work. Billboards used to see a bloke come along with a bucket of goo, a ladder, a brush and a rolled up piece of paper whilst sucking on a jauntily place roll-up ciggy.
Well you can still see this but more than likely today one will have the pleasure of watching vast screens displaying a plethora of designs and products. Not on that; the features seen in Harry Potter films where photos were brought to life and people could actually move about is now a reality and advertisers can tap into this technology to produce lovable animations of real scenes.
Music and video, which I have written about in previous blogs, have also had their upgrade into the digital and modern age of gadgetry and reading is also included as a part of this onward march.
So you see technology and the gadgets we use and see today have repeatedly come to the aid of the geeks and lovers of the NEW and art is no exception.
I for one love art in many forms and have great admiration for those lucky enough to be able to express themselves through whatever avenue that pleases them. There are the crafters (one for Lucy there to reward her for her support in reading all my crap), musicians, photographers, painters, potters, writers, makers of strange things, sculpters, welders and bakers to name but a few artist out there and most have seen technlogy and gadgets help and change their fields whether they like it or not. The question is do they accept the modern and use it to their advantage or do the stay with the traditional? Or maybe some just mix it up to produce something else more funky?
No matter what then art is art and technology has touched it.
The humble bicycle hasn’t really changed that much since the invention of the Safety Bicycle in 1885 by John Starly. Which had two similar sized wheels and a rear chain driven wheel.
Prior to that there were all kinds of wierd and wonderful machines like the Penny Farthing, The Penny Farthing Trike, the push alongs and all other manner of inventions. They were often difficult to ride, unfriendly to steer and downright dangerous.
As one can see from above the fundamental “diamond” shape frame is the standard of most modern bicycles.
What has changed is the technology which makes up the modern ride.
Most frames were made from heavy steal and gears were either non-existant or clumbersome affairs.
Todays road bikes see an overwhelming amount of technology and gadgets thrown at them to make them faster, strong, easier to ride and more comfortable (try telling my bottom that on 50 mile rides though. God only knows how much worserer it would have been).
Carbon fibre is one example of making a frame as light as a feather. What was once a structure that weighed in at 30lbs-40lbs has now been dropped to 6lbs-8lbs and is flexible and strong.
Gears have become a hanging arrangement of cogs and wheels to feed a chain through in order to drive the rear wheel and the modern set ups are great. There is no need to guess either or fumble with levers to change gear as it can be done instantly with the use of direct electronics so the days on mashing ratios are gone.
Now the few examples above are just a dip in the ocean of the styles and types of bicycles one can see or use today. There are Mountain bikes with full or part suspension to cope with rugged off road terrain. There are full road bikes and touring road bikes. If a commuter and space is a worry then maybe a folding type is more desirable. Either way whatever your needs or requirements there is a machine out there.
Apart from wind weight is a cyclists worst enemy but science and technology are constantly striving to make bicycles more streamlined and easier to cut through the air. Cables are routed through the frame, wheels have angled spokes, frames are shaped and the riding position adjusted to cut down on resistance. All this would not be with us if technology was not employed.
Now we have looked at the design and function of the ride its not the end of the story. “Ah what; your kidding?” I jess not my friends. Gadgets for the modrn rider have never been so abundant.
When I was riding around on my old Stermy Archer three speed hub bike a saddle bag and bottle holder were about the only accessories available.
Today there are helmets with attachable cameras to record your ride along with sat navs and computers to relay information by the bucket load. This infoormation can be uploaded to sites like Strava, Garmin and Map My Ride so one can save a record of routes and courses. This is great if you want to beat your previous attempt or realise fitness goals. You can train against others too without having to be with them on particular rides or times. Competition is wonderful.
Lights are also now gaining multi technological uses. Garmin have invented their Varia set which are truely amazing. Not only do they work like traditional lights, they also become brighter when other road users approach so one can be seen better and from further away. Thats not it from these babies. They can also detect approaching vehicles from behind using radar and this information can be relayed to the cycle computer or a eyeglass viewer mounted on your spectacle’s arm so one has a heads up window. It shows the distance and number of vehicles behind so there is no need to take your eyes of the road ahead to make that dangerous backwards glance.
Clothing has also made a massive impact on how and where we ride. Lycra and padding are a road riders best friends and breathable materials are far more comfortable. Don’t worry what you look like; thats not the point. Being seen and being safer and less chaffed is. I wouldn’t wear a suit and bowler hat to go swimming in; end of!
So from the humble “safety” bike to the modern cycle there have been subtle but staggering advancements to allow us to explore wilder terrain, further distances and practicle destinations and its all thanks to the imagination of our great inventors and researchers.
Happy cycling everyone and a big thank you to John Kemp Starly for giving us his brilliant creation.
Well I am thinking that, like me, you thought that this gadget and technology thread could go no further but who knew we could be so wrong?
Its fascinating how much change goes on all around us every day and as the years go by those little changes amount to a revolution in what we use, how we use things and what it means socially.
Games are as much a part of the Olympics as they are of our daily lives albeit on very different styles and genres.
Everyone plays games of some sort and I mean everyone. Thats from logging train numbers, solving soduko puzzles, flicking tiddley-winks to board games. And that hasn’t touched on computer games.
But that is what I am saying. Things have changed dramatically over the last fifty years or so.
Just look at what play was like in the 70s. There were things like The Johnny Seven gun, Action Man, Lego, Hot Wheels, Fuzzy felt, Stickle Bricks, Play people and Plastacine but not forgetting Cindy, Tiny Tears and all the other girlie things that I am not OhFay with.
Adults had amusements such as Jigsaws, Board games, The Times Crossword and who could grow the stupidist moustache or wear the most ridiculous outfit.
It all needed an imagination and it was a great way of learning new skills. It was simple and I loved those engrossed and complex stories that played out in my mind where scenes were acted out as though real but no one was hurt and a new story would start from new the next time one played.Scenarios were endless and the knees of trousers worn through much to the harrassment of mothers who had to patch and repair them. (Good old Cholet; my very, very patient mum).
Games and toys were also well made and easily stood up to daily use unless you were like me a were ditermined to see what it took to break a Tonka toy ( a coal hammer, bricks and a blind spot at the bottom of a garden if your ineterested). Action Man was changeable by use of the varied uniforms and accessories so one doll could be a multitude of characters or Cindy would be changed to follow what she was planning for the day by use of her fashionable and endless wardrobe.
Todays Toys are endless in the amount available but so often are poorly made, meaningless or fads. Even the humble Action Man is ruined by having set figures which can’t be changed so one has to buy a different one for certain actions.
“Oiy Lord Frog, whats this got to do with technology and gadgets?” I hear you cry.
Just you hang on in there my old fruits as I am about to get to that.
So thats what games were like.
Today games have changed so much so that to bring a child kicking and screaming into a modern home he or she would be utterly dumbfounded. Okay there would be a few cars, dolls and lego but the amount of technology there would be staggering.
I can remember going to a friend’s house (Duncan Curnow, you know who you are) in the 80s and being introduced to this thing called Atarii. It was so utterly brilliant and state of the art but in actual fact was just a couple of moveable lines that could be manoevered to block a dot. Computer Tennis was invented.It took no imagination but was addictive and great.
Now scroll on thirty or fourty years and see what we have now.
Kids have remote controlled cars, boats, robots and flying drones.There are electic scooters and sit on cars and even voice activated toys. Many of these can be controlled from their mobile phones too. Computer games are so advanced that it takes an adult to understand them and hone the gaming skills. With the introdution of Virtual Reality these games can become almost a living event and the internet means that oponents and partners can be anywhere in the world. Yet once again the imagination has been replaced by someone else’s ideas and one has to follow their rules of use.
Sure kids and young adults alike have become more computer literate but their creative and commonsense abilities have been compromised. Even social interaction has changed as many youngsters sit at home and wander around in their virtual worlds. With this comes health issues. Becoming overweight and unfit is a result of not physically going out a doing things like walking, running, riding or climbing about in woods.
Even the simple board game and crossword puzzle along with jigsaws and even drawing have had major facelifts to allow them into the 21st century. Computers have taken over the platform of play but thankfully one still has to actually play or use a stylus to create.
There are a few geeky similarites though that have remained the same even though they have evolved immensely.
Decades ago the more technical or engineerial types could buy and create electrical circuits some of which would be complex pieces of equipment that could be employed in a wide spectrum of uses.
Today with the use of Raspberry and plug in components much the same thing can be done. One could theoretically make a complex robot or computer drone at home by cobbling together a combination of electronics.
So what have we learnt today? And I don’t mean that in a patronising way as I have learnt things too.
The Gadgets and technology surrounding play today might make things more exciting and immersive but does it improve us and people?
Think about and look at the younger generation’s capabilities. Those who have not been allowed to be exposed continually and have had a balanced education may buck the trend but there are many that haven’t and they are my focus.
When I left home I could cook, clean, change light bulbs, do DIY jobs, budget the household and generally live unaided. Play and games also came naturally.Today I hear so many parents saying that their kids have left home but eat out or get takeaways as they can’t cook, ask dad to pop rould to change a lightbulb, fuse or battery and stare blankly when challenged to put a shelf up.
They have so little imagination that they all dress and look the same and god forbid they have to talk to someone.
So the answer to the question above is yes gadgets and technology have improved our entertainment but unless used in a balanced and more traditional way they have damaged us as human beings so be wary of an unbalanced education but everyone needs to have fun.
Until……Pokemon go!!!!
Yes this is me thirty years ago… Have I changed?
I guess so. Do I camp? Not that much nowadays, in fact I can’t remember when I last set up my tent.
I do know that things have changed in this area and once agin technology is playing it’s part in the modern way campers spend their time.
All I had back in the good old days were my trusty two man ridge tent, a thin piece of foam for a mattress,a torch, a small gas stove with mess tins, baby wipes as an essential a trusty knife and a plastic bag for rubbish.
Its was simple, uncomfortable at times (but a more than liberal supply of booze helped) and open for disasters but it was fun and cheap.
Yes there may have been some poxy folding chairs and fly nets and portable radios but it was never going to be a home from home comfort. The best one could do was go swimming to get clean, visit museums and shops to get out of the rain and retire to a pub to eat and numb oneself for the lumpy sleep ahead.
Today there are tents for all types. day tents , all season tents (for the hardy types who go all year), blow up tents and dome tents to mention a few. They are light and some even come with a built in inflatable mattress.
There are even tents just for use as toilet surrounds and one doesn’t have to dig a hole to cover up when finished as proper loos can be taken, albeit chemical or compost ones.
Luxury or what?
They are made from high-tech materials and are quick and easy to assemble. One, two, three, job done.
Then there is the accessory stuff. My god! There is everything you could imagine and much more.
Foldable picnic tables and chairs, BBQ sets, comfy chairs, phone charging tech and music and even TV and video projectors. One can take portable hot-tubs and dining room style furniture so, now, you can feel like being home from home.
This can all pack down into a small trailer that can be pulled by the humble bicycle; yes the bicycle.
What? I hear you say. In my day a small lorry would have had to be employed to carry all that equipment which is why most just went with the basics.
Sleeping bags are now lighter, pack smaller and seasonal so one can be cool in summer and snuggly in winter.
Solar panels can provide energy to support fridges, lights and warmth so no more warm beer, cheesey milk or dodgy sausages and bacon.
But has it lead to more fun and fonder memories?
Nah. Not in my mind. part of the experience and challenge was to overcome the hurdles of nature and push the limits of one’s abilities. Getting away from the humdrum of daily life and getting off grid was part of the appeal and learning new skills is always good.
So once again technology has its bonuses and it would have been nice to have been a little warmer on cold nights and a little less bruised by bumps and stones in the ground but overall it has made the new generation soft and less reliant on themselves.
Don’t get me wrong I love some of the tech and would have welcomed it at times but then I wouldn’t have become the person I am today and I know that armed with a few bits and bobs I could still survive a few weeks under canvas.
I do have the fortune to use a shed as my guest dwellings twice a year which is nice but very hardy.
If only I had the time today to indulge in this past-time……
Since the early days of man/womankind, when we strolled the earth, we have made use of “stuff” to clothe ourselves and make life that little more comfortable.
Natural materials and fibres were the only things available on the whole even up to when I was young. Okay there were clothes made from oil and plastics but they felt artificial and yucky.
Remember those polyester shirts, and plastic macks? The nylon Blazers and crympoleen trousers? Yes all vile and very disgusting. And in my mind ill-fitting and dull.
Stuff in great need of upgrading and having a touch of technology incorporated.
My first encounter was being introduced to a new product called “fleece” and it was fantastic. It boasted to be better than wool and more hardwearing. That was the first sign of science and technology creating something truely amazing to wear.
Fleece jackets and tops were very expensive to start with and only true adventurers and mountainy-outdoor types could and wanted to afford it.
It gave one flexability in movement and freedom, through lightweight design, to do more. It was also shower resistant and snag resistant which was something that wool found hard to compete with. Wool is still brilliant and hhard to beat but it falls down when wet as it gets so heavy, it snags and pulls strands and can stretch and warp out of shape easily and shrinking whilst washing has proven disasterous.
Fleece doesn’t seem bound by these constraints and was a world-changing discovery all those years ago.
Today we see all kinds of man made materials which are taken for granted but way out perform their natural counterparts or can be used in contention with.
Take for example folk who like walking, jogging and cycling (indoors or out). One used to have to put up with cotton or wool. The cotton would get wet with perspiration, then cling to the body and cause rubbing and severe cooling. Wool would make one itchy and overrheated and when wet would seem like one was carrying the sheep itself with you.
Let me introduce you to Lycra, Smartwool, the new fleece, modern polyester and microfibre.
These are all lightweight, breathable, stretchy and hardwearing materials that work together with the body to create and more pleasant and chaffing free experience.
I don’t want flappy cotton trousers, shorts and shirts when cycling or walking as in the former it slows one down and gets caught in chains and wheels.
Lycra clad men may look wierd and unflattering but beleive you me after ten miles or so they will be happy they took advantage of these revolutionary designs. I mean you wouldn’t go swimming in a blowler hat and three piece suit now would you?
Smartwool? Yes a wool with lycra interwoven to make a strong, flexable and warm/cool garment. It also has an antibacterial “thing” in it to stop one from smelling to high heaven after that exerting walk.
Nano technology is also now becoming part of the norm allowing garments like shits and trousers to look like normal everyday wear but be waterproof. So on warm summer days you don’t have to struggle with pack-a-macks or overjackets as you’ll stay dry in your summer clothes ( oh and when you do don your mack or overjacket you become just as wet through sweating like an amozonian rainforest due to being overheated).
Mackintoshes and waterproof clothing doesn’t have to be stiff, heavy and bulky. Today we have things like Gortex, Sympatex ( no not the bomb making material), Nano sprays and all kinds of texes that getting wet whilst out and about is a thing of the past. Well nearly. And its relatively cheap too.
For example a Goretex jacket 30 years ago would have been about £200 (£4-£500 today) but can be bought for £50. Even the fleeces I mentioned earlier were £100 for a reasonable one but now are around the same price but better quality. Yes you can buy a fleece for a tenner but hey you gets what you pay for.
There are even jackets, trousers, gloves, shoes and hats that have climate control features to keep one at a nice temperature whatever the weather. Built in heaters.
You can even plug your phone into your jacket to take advantage of built in speakers. Whatever next?
So Technology and Clothing? You bet. Its probably the most advanced area of design and research in our midst and can reuse waste plastics and materials to produce high performance kit.
We can be warmer, cooler, more comfortable, go further and be far greater in efficiency thanks to the advancement in the technolgy that has been placed in the stuff we wear.
Just try going back to the pre 80s era and see how you get on. Good luck with that.
I for one will not as I love modern fabrics and not being covered in rashes, heat bumps, chaffing marks and welts from garments just not up to the job.
So I bid you a good morning as I head of for a bike ride dressed in my new tech. Solong folks, solong.
The word Cars may bring to mind a few different images for people.
Firstly, the Gary Newman Band called Cars, secondly, trams and thirdly the tin boxes used to drive around in.
Whats this got to do with the heading “Gadgets”?
Well lets see then….
I can fondly remember my first few cars during the 80s and early 90s. My first was a Mini (original old school) and then a gold Vauxhal Viva and lastly a purple Ford Escort MK1.
They all had vinyl seats, rust in places where rust should never be or be seen and easy to work on engines. They also had character, charm and that 70s styling that made them fun and unique from other manufacturers.
Basic? Well yes. One was lucky to have a working heater or radio. No computer chips or anything automated. Even the choke was manual. The windows either slid open or needed a hand winder.
This was quite the norm for a decade or so and many a street would see young men tinkering with their tin cans and oily engines on a Saturday and or Sunday morning. Yes one could work on their loves with a bisic tool kit including the universal tool of a good stout hammer.
So what happened?
Technology happened thats what. Cars became the amatures nightmare. Specialised tools were needed, engine diagnostic kits had to be employed and suddenly a wiring loom the size of an earthworm became a plate of oversized spaghetti with no way of knowing what did what and how or why it worked.
Gradually the dashboard has grown its number of lights and warning symbols to the point where a thirty page book is needed to decode what they mean.
Scroll forward to 2016 and take a look a the gadgets and technology that adorns even the most basic cars on the road.
Electric windows, air conditioning, bluetooth radio, remote central locking trip computers, cameras, cruise control and speed limiters and the ever present satalite navigation system. These are but a few and they are all linked in to the central computer that in turn makes the car work.
Some of the higher end models can support the modern business man/woman in complete luxury having TVs, heated and massaging seats, computer WiFi and a plethora of other niceties at their manacured fingertips.
All very comfortable and desireable but a long way from the basics.
No more vinyl seats that took the skin off unsuspecting legs during the few hot days. Now its leather or plush cloth. Wet carpets when it rains has become things in story books and the smell of petrol fumes and burning oil are rarely indulged.
Cars were fun to drive even at relatively low speed and one felt every bump and heard the whine of the gearbox and scream of the engine as they struggled from one destination to another. Breakdowns were often and bits rattled and wobbled where ever we went.
They also looked so different from each other.
Today we have machines that do the same things, look almost identical (its only the badge that gives the away), drive with ease and are so quiet that its sometimes hard to know its working.
There is very little heart or soul in modern cars (yes there are exceptions but they tend to be higher end and costly models) and there are far too many on our roads in the UK to make driving fun.
In otherwords cars have become boring as manufacturers must use the same software and designers to come up with their latest offerings. I love the electric windows and remote locking and bluetooth radios but hanker after the uniqueness of yesteryear.
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