On Dec 6, 4:56*am, Tommy Joe > wrote:
> On Dec 6, 12:03*am, "Polly Esther" > wrote:
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> > "John Kuthe" <>
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> > >> I had to get a personal cell phone because ether are no payphones
> > >> around anymore. *It's also a good idea that I can be
> > >> tracked/triangulated if I'm not around for a couple days. *I was a
> > >> late holdout to cell phones, but now I have one that cheap as dirt
> > >> compared to what other pay.
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> > >> -sw
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> > > What did you get, and through what service? I may have to get one
> > > soon.
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> > > John Kuthe...
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> > My reception of this thread is fractious since apparently there are some
> > obnoxious kill-filed jerks participating. *At any rate - our daughter who is
> > frugal just for the fun of it says that her cell phone is from Wal-Mart for
> > $10. *She didn't want/need one that would take pictures, give her the scenic
> > route to Omaha or the best price on octopus jerky. *Her no contract service
> > might be with A T & T. * It can be done. *Polly
>
> * * Not applicable to me or others who think for themselves, but for
> most people the cellphone, or any recent electronic gadget, is a
> gateway drug to the hard stuff. *Most of the stuff advertised on tv
> and elsewhere is sold on the basis of speed. *It's all about doing
> things faster to give us more time. *But all it gives most people is
> time for more work. *I have a cellphone I use for driving the stinking
> cab - but at home I use a landline and would never switch. *Not only
> does the sound of most cellphones suck to begin with, most people make
> it even worse by using cheap ear buds and speakers that produce a
> tinny sound that is irritating and could even lead to a form of mass
> stress similar to that of mass hypnosis. *Just kidding with that last
> remark, but maybe not that much. *Anyway, I'm all for anything new
> that works and is helpful or enjoyable - but the truth is and always
> has been that today's luxury is tomorrow's necessity.
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> * * * One more thing I thought was pretty funny. *For maybe 5 years
> now I've been looking for a personal phone book. *You know, an address
> book - a small book with A thru Z sticking out on labels so you can
> write in people's phone numbers alphabetically. *I wasn't searching
> desperately, just now and then when the mood struck and I happened to
> be in a store such as WalMart for example. *All I ever saw were Day
> Planner books. *The other day I went into the dollar store and asked
> if they had address books. *They did not. *All they had were the
> planners. *Then it hit me, as maybe it should have hit me earlier -
> that the phone-number address book is hard to find these days because
> of the cellphone. *People store numbers in their phones. *Of course
> when their phones go down or are lost they typically have no backup as
> they have placed all their faith in the tiny electronic instruments
> that rule most people's lives.
>
> TJ

I guess I will treasure my loose-leaf, tabbed, extra blank pages in
the back, address book. I think I bought it about 15 - 20 years ago.
I didn't realize those were now dinosaurs. I have never used ink in
it and am more determined than ever to keep it going. I prob. have
200 entries in it - and I'll be damned if I ever wish to try to put
all of it into any cellphone. It goes with me on trips and if I ever
need to evacuate, it's going. You may have to buy a plain notebook
and make your own.

As to graduation to 'harder stuff' - uh-uh. In fact we downsized
from a pay per month cell (some months we never made one call) to one
of those deals - pay 100 bucks for a year, 25 cents a minute.
Rollover feature when you re-up for the next hundred. I don't think
we've used 20 dollars worth of it since July.

I hate it when a friend calls to gab from a cell - bad transmission
and echo etc.