Emily’s NEW positivity and being nice to each other thread

[MillieDynamite]

The youth of today use their GPS to go everywhere. It messes with their heads. It shows them where to go and how they are to get there and indicates that they are, indeed, the bright, shining center of the universe. It speaks to them in a reassuring, kind voice (of their choosing) to give them suggestions of where to turn, and doesn't scold them when they screw up. It just says, "Recalculating." they watch the screen and notice, "See how it always has us in the center, the bright blue dot of us."

Boomers don't like GPSs, they're used to getting instruction from their pissed-off spouse or maybe a parent. It isn't kind. It is reassuring, and when you screw up, they scream their disapproval. This isn't the voice of their choice, it's the voice in the tone they hate. GPSs are just to nice for Boomers.

The inbetweeners aren't all that fussed one way or the other. They take tech or leave it. Not a big deal.

 

[SimonDoom]

Remember that we are in a time where most of us are not in danger of imminent death from disease, war or starvation. There's horrid shit going on, but it's always been going on, it's just that now it's more visible.

Media amplifies the negative. It can also amplify the positive; it's just that the negative has a positive feedback loop because people love to be outraged, and outrage generates clicks.

Whenever it gets too much I like to go "This, too, shall pass." It's trite, but it is true.

Go placidly amidst the noise and haste.

My attitude as well. One has to take the longer view to get a sense of perspective.

As I've pointed out, the crime rate in the USA is significantly lower today than it was in 1993. But you'd never know it to hear the way people talk. The ratio of actual dangererceived danger is completely different from when I was in my teens or 20s. Back then, we had more to fear, but we feared it less. I'm old enough to have consciously gone through many presidents and many boom/bust cycles, several wars, and periods of optimism and pessimism. It's been a ride, but things are better in most ways today than they were when I was 18.

Without question, the political situation in the USA is weirder and more divided than it ever has been during my life, and everybody on all sides seems to think Armageddon is coming. It's unlikely that it's coming. Probably, there is some new development around the corner that nobody anticipates. I can remember in graduate school a professor of mine (who was black) with absolute confidence saying that there was no way America would ever elect a black president. I remember thinking at the time, not so fast. 19 years later we elected a black president. You never know what's going to happen, but things tend not to be as dire as the pessimists think.

 

[stickygirl]

The youth of today use their GPS to go everywhere. It messes with their heads. It shows them where to go and how they are to get there and indicates that they are, indeed, the bright, shining center of the universe. It speaks to them in a reassuring, kind voice (of their choosing) to give them suggestions of where to turn, and doesn't scold them when they screw up. It just says, "Recalculating." they watch the screen and notice, "See how it always has us in the center, the bright blue dot of us."

Boomers don't like GPSs, they're used to getting instruction from their pissed-off spouse or maybe a parent. It isn't kind. It is reassuring, and when you screw up, they scream their disapproval. This isn't the voice of their choice, it's the voice in the tone they hate. GPSs are just to nice for Boomers.

The inbetweeners aren't all that fussed one way or the other. They take tech or leave it. Not a big deal.

I had to learn to navigate before GPS, both on land and at sea. I take an impish delight in winding up the Maps.app by saying 'No, you're wrong. I know a better route' then imagine the flurry of calculations going on as that extraordinary piece of technology performs a computational miracle. At sea, I still know the old school way of doing things, but fuck, having tidal predictions and GPS reduces the workload immensely and makes for a less stressful day.

Oddly enough, I was just about to mention the sexy voice of Siri. Both the bf and I thank her for her trouble. Currently she is acknowledging 'seventeen minutes, counting down' to which we both respond 'Thanks babe'. It only seems polite, but never once as she fucking said 'You're welcome'.

 

[onehitwanda]

At sea, I still know the old school way of doing things, but fuck, having tidal predictions and GPS reduces the workload immensely and makes for a less stressful day.

Are you my sister from another mister?

Height-of-tide calculations for secondary ports suck donkey dick in hell. I actually wrote a software program to do them for me, and then ran afoul of HM Hydrographic Office who told me "nuh uh, can't use OUR tidal table data for that because it's crown copyright."

Pricks.

 

[onehitwanda]

The youth of today use their GPS to go everywhere. It messes with their heads. It shows them where to go and how they are to get there and indicates that they are, indeed, the bright, shining center of the universe. It speaks to them in a reassuring, kind voice (of their choosing) to give them suggestions of where to turn, and doesn't scold them when they screw up. It just says, "Recalculating." they watch the screen and notice, "See how it always has us in the center, the bright blue dot of us."

Boomers don't like GPSs, they're used to getting instruction from their pissed-off spouse or maybe a parent. It isn't kind. It is reassuring, and when you screw up, they scream their disapproval. This isn't the voice of their choice, it's the voice in the tone they hate. GPSs are just to nice for Boomers.

The inbetweeners aren't all that fussed one way or the other. They take tech or leave it. Not a big deal.

Terry Pratchett had such a lovely thing to say in Lords and Ladies which I think perfectly sums this up.

@Duleigh can correct me, but it's something like:

"Humans are always lost. They are always, fundamentally, floundering around with no idea where they are. This explains many things about them. Elves, on the other hand, always know precisely where they are. A glimmering silver net overlays their existence - the same net used by carrier pigeons on worlds without the Disc's strong magical field. Elves are never lost. This explains almost everything about them."

 

[onehitwanda]

Secondary ports suck big time and then there's BST/UTC to consider. But there's a cheap app for tides and so the problem evaporates... it even give me tidal streams *heaven*

Oh, yeah, back when I was sailing in the Solent the apps were rudimentary at best. My bum used to make buttons whenever we were entering Southampton water.

Actually, I'm just intensely phobic of the ocean. I love her, but oh my god she terrifies me so.

 

[stickygirl]

Oh, yeah, back when I was sailing in the Solent the apps were rudimentary at best. My bum used to make buttons whenever we were entering Southampton water.

Actually, I'm just intensely phobic of the ocean. I love her, but oh my god she terrifies me so.

Sounds like something that's crept up on you. We're cautious in our sailing, learning, acknowledging our limitations. He and I are a good fit that way and we bonded through working on the boat. Hannah was quite the match-maker...

 

[EmilyMiller]

Sounds like something that's crept up on you. We're cautious in our sailing, learning, acknowledging our limitations. He and I are a good fit that way and we bonded through working on the boat. Hannah was quite the match-maker...

You and @onehitwanda need to co-write a sailing themed story. I’d read that. Two of the loveliest people on Lit.

Em

 

[Bamagan]

You and @onehitwanda need to co-write a sailing themed story. I’d read that. Two of the loveliest people on Lit.

Em

"One hand for the boat and one for yourself." "Batten down the hatches!" Lots of great nautical innuendoes. I second the motion for a sticky-wanda pirate romance or similar.

 

[djrip]

"One hand for the boat and one for yourself." "Batten down the hatches!" Lots of great nautical innuendoes. I second the motion for a sticky-wanda pirate romance or similar.

The one with the silver haired special forces grandma?

 

[Bamagan]

The one with the silver haired special forces grandma?

I have a vague inkling this is referring to that thread a while back with one of the parade of guys looking for a female co-author, who had some kind of faux-Sapphic Caribbean pirate tale in mind? I stopped watching it pretty early on.

 

[Emilymcplugger]

Today, I need something to restore my faith in the basic sanity and general good intentions of at least a majority of humanity. Seriously doubting both.

Any offers?

Em

I’ll offer you some sanity in this sea of madness. I think people are generally good. I work with people and all of us go to work with a want to do a good job and be proud of what we do. I think this is most people.

True, there are lazy scumbags who are chances but they are the exception not the rule.

Most of us enjoy feeling inspired, feeling loved, feeling joy at music, cinema, art, literature, Hell the last one is to some degree why we all gather on here.

Take that with you today and don’t let the bastards who inhabit the upper layers of are society, some of whom have most definitely gone bad or where never good in the first place, get you down.

 

[onehitwanda]

"One hand for the boat and one for yourself." "Batten down the hatches!" Lots of great nautical innuendoes. I second the motion for a sticky-wanda pirate romance or similar.

"cunt-splice"

Oh lawdy, Patrick O'Brien.

 

[onehitwanda]

I suppose Seaman Stains and Rodger the Cabin boy help Wanda work her passage down under...

It's fine; I'm good friends with Master Bates.

 

[EmilyMiller]

I suppose Seaman Stains and Rodger the Cabin boy help Wanda work her passage down under...

Note to self - if any two Brit women are left alone, the quality of puns will tend to a minimum.

Em

 

[EmilyMiller]

https://www.metmuseum.org/-/media/images/exhibitions/imported/man-myth-and-sensual-pleasures-jan-gossarts-renaissance/fcd3702d07eb42548074341f8869434b11jpg.jpg?mw=173&mh=119A boomer using a compass in pre-smartphone days.

 

[StillStunned]

Her torso looks like the painter had no idea. "Just paint a man, and add breasts."

 

[EmilyMiller]

Her torso looks like the painter had no idea. "Just paint a man, and add breasts."

Drawn by a 13 yo boy

 

[EmilyMiller]

Drawn by a 13 yo boy

Though - on reflection - maybe 13 yo boys are pretty familiar with nude women nowadays.

Em

 

[onehitwanda]

Note to self - if any two Brit women are left alone, the quality of puns will tend to a minimum.

Em

Oh no, babes, it depends entirely on how shmangled we are on Prossecco and Rioja.

if we're tipsy, we're punning up a storm.
if we're sozzled, we're shrieking at one another and calling the boss a stuck up wanker
if we're rat-faced, we've got our knickers off and we're throwing them at some lad two tables down
if we're fucked, we're fucking Harry from sales in the loo
if we're plastered, we're fucking Harry from sales and then when we're done with that we're going down on Leah from HR while everyone takes video and posts it to Tik Tok
then we might have another drinkie
and then someone buys a round of shots
and then the police arrive and the party really starts.

 

[MrPixel]

Boomers don't like GPSs...

Uh... I'm a Boomer, and you know what? I was using GPSs and writing GPS mapping software before your lot was born. Thpthpthpthpthpt!

Where's my fuckin' cane?

Seriously, when I started, the only civilian GPS was literally a black box with an antenna connection and a data-out port, and when you finally were able to acquire enough satellites to get a consistent posit, you might have been accurate to about 100 yards or so. And it was your job to do something with the data spew!

My problem, relative to you Gen Zedders, is knowing what's in the sausage. The GPS-ish map data you see on your smartphone has a lot of crap in it. Now that has improved immensely since Google got serious about mapping, but the base dataset (TIGER) was rife with errors. The old joke about "Turn right in 200 feet" - which dumped you into a river or lake - was sort of true.

When we travel, we mostly use paper map books. There's just no way to get the big picture in route planning relying on the data's interpretations of what are and what aren't major or minor thoroughfares, especially on that microscopic screen. We've been routed down some pretty iffy dirt (and mud!) roads under the misimpression that the "GPS" could have been right.

 

[onehitwanda]

When we travel, we mostly use paper map books. There's just no way to get the big picture in route planning relying on the data's interpretations of what are and what aren't major or minor thoroughfares, especially on that microscopic screen. We've been routed down some pretty iffy dirt (and mud!) roads under the misimpression that the "GPS" could have been right.

One of my best memories of school is of me, the fucking small town girl in the WRONG JACKET, knowing how to read a 1:50000 ordnance survey map and use the topology + a compass to work out where we were, where we were supposed to be (one valley over) and just how much of a fucking idiot our group leader was (city girl with bags of confidence and no ability to admit she was wrong).

Yeah, I wasn't popular at school. But I did know the area very well

 

[Duleigh]

Terry Pratchett had such a lovely thing to say in Lords and Ladies which I think perfectly sums this up.

@Duleigh can correct me, but it's something like:

"Humans are always lost. They are always, fundamentally, floundering around with no idea where they are. This explains many things about them. Elves, on the other hand, always know precisely where they are. A glimmering silver net overlays their existence - the same net used by carrier pigeons on worlds without the Disc's strong magical field. Elves are never lost. This explains almost everything about them."

That's what I remember, I can't find it at the moment. Here's my favorite:

"Elves are beautiful. They've got style. Beauty. Grace. That's what matters. If cats looked like frogs we'd realize what nasty, cruel little bastards they are. Style, that's what people remember"

The elves in my stories are elsewhere but left an interesting place for Nick and Octavia to stash their Agatean gold. It will come important in the final entry (Enchantress 6 - Queen Again)

 

[JaxRhapsody]

Uh... I'm a Boomer, and you know what? I was using GPSs and writing GPS mapping software before your lot was born. Thpthpthpthpthpt!

Where's my fuckin' cane?

Seriously, when I started, the only civilian GPS was literally a black box with an antenna connection and a data-out port, and when you finally were able to acquire enough satellites to get a consistent posit, you might have been accurate to about 100 yards or so. And it was your job to do something with the data spew!

My problem, relative to you Gen Zedders, is knowing what's in the sausage. The GPS-ish map data you see on your smartphone has a lot of crap in it. Now that has improved immensely since Google got serious about mapping, but the base dataset (TIGER) was rife with errors. The old joke about "Turn right in 200 feet" - which dumped you into a river or lake - was sort of true.

When we travel, we mostly use paper map books. There's just no way to get the big picture in route planning relying on the data's interpretations of what are and what aren't major or minor thoroughfares, especially on that microscopic screen. We've been routed down some pretty iffy dirt (and mud!) roads under the misimpression that the "GPS" could have been right.

Emily is gen y, or as you old heads like to call us; carnsarnate millenials.

 

[Duleigh]

Boomers don't like GPSs, they're used to getting instruction from their pissed-off spouse or maybe a parent.

Young Lady, making generalizations like that might get you taken across some boomers knee. I was GEO Cashing before you were old enough to spell GEO. That's where someone hides a cache and then publishes the Longitude and Latitude and you use handheld GPS to guide you to that cache. (Do you have one of those??? and NOT your phone) I found every single cache in Georgetown CO (where we got married as old boomer bride and groom) every geocache along OhMyGod Road (a road most millenials don't have the guts to drive down in a 2 wheel drive coupe)

Just because the average boomer isn't welded to their phone 29 hours a day like most Gen Z folks doesn't mean we don't like GPS

GPS = Generalizing People Sucks