Delivery – Apps for the lazy (or too busy)

We have seen tons of apps in the last several years especially geared towards delivery (or in some cases rentals). Why is that? Why did we need pizza and newspaper delivery way before needing McDonalds delivered?

Back many years ago, many people had milk and newspapers delivered. At least those were primarily the two items that you might think about. Milk was delivered so it could be fresh, and it was more difficult to keep cooler for a longer time than it is today. Newspapers were delivered because people wanted to know what was going on and by reading the news at breakfast or on the way to work got you caught up on the previous day’s events.

Newspapers gradually gave way to TV broadcasts. Why waste time reading when you could have someone read the news to you (plus have moving pictures and weather forecasts that were more detailed than ever). Milk gradually was able to be stored longer and in more stores so less and less people needed delivery.

Eventually someone got the smart idea to deliver pizza (I’m sure it can be found on the internet who was first, but you can do the research). Why not hamburgers or casseroles, why pizza? Well I’m sure it was an ideal product to work with. It could stay warm for the relatively short trips and people love pizza. It also could feed several people at once so you only had to agree on the toppings (for the most part).

In the last several years other foods have become a deliverable product and of course even other types of products can be delivered. From McDonalds to Walmart to Amazon, just about every place can deliver what you want without you leaving your house/work.

I just don’t know if this will survive in the long run. We know the positives (saves you driving, if busy you get more work done, etc.) but what are the negatives? You can stay at home, but that can be a positive (no commute, save on babysitting) and a negative (don’t see people much, less exercise, poor diet). You can drive less by using delivery, that could keep one less car on the road even if that car that is delivering to you is using energy.

By far the biggest negative is the costs. The costs are far higher for delivery these days. Pizza was easier because you could deliver to multiple houses at the same time, lowering the cost per household. A delivery app like Shipt, is usually one, maybe two orders at a time. Not only that but the Pizza place paid the person doing the delivering their wage (though they could get tips). Also, when they weren’t making deliveries, they could do other things at the restaurant.

A delivery app not only needs to pay the restaurant for the food plus a little more for profit, but they have to pay the driver a wage. That driver is using their own vehicle as well which means some of their wages goes to vehicle maintenance, insurance, gas, etc. It just is impossible for a driver to make enough money to cover all of it. Not to mention the restaurant and the delivery app company getting their fair share.

I did Instacart for a month. It was hard work. I spent part of my time waiting around for an order to come in. Once I got one, I had to shop it, which you want to do as quickly and efficiently as possible as the less time it takes the better. Finally, you drive to the customer’s house and deliver it. You get paid and hopefully get a good tip. I was lucky to make minimum wage (not even factoring in the costs to me (gas, wear and tear on the car). Finally, you have NO insurance. No car insurance, no health insurance, no benefits paid by the delivery app company. I think some are offering a little, but you are usually just a contractor. You have to paid out of pocket for everything associated with your job.

I see the benefits more for a customer than for an employee (contractor) for these delivery jobs. Maybe things have improved since I did it, but it just seems to me a rough way to make a living. I read all the time about people not tipping or reducing tips when using these services. If you are going to use a delivery app, make sure you tip properly (unless the person was indeed deserving a bad tip). It isn’t their fault the delivery app companies are screwing them.

And don’t talk to me about drone delivery, that is a pipe dream.

Billy Joel’s Should Have Been Hits

I’m still working on a title for this type of article looking at artists songs that I think should have been hits but weren’t for various reasons. Although in some cases, the songs are just plain good, and you might want to give them a listen anyway.

This time, it is Billy Joel. A longtime favorite artist of mine, who unfortunately got tired of the song-writing grind over 30 years ago for the most part. He is known as the “Piano Man” partly due to his popular song of the same name, but also because he primarily plays piano. Incidentally I skipped many songs from his most recent records as he had far more actual hit songs during that period.

These songs I’ve selected are only from stuido albums and technically includes one hit. I’ll get into that technicality with the comments on each song. As with before I will link to Spotify so you can listen to the song for yourself if you’ve never heard it. I hope you will give them a listen either way – don’t take my word for the qualities of the entries. Finally, as with many artists there are a great many good songs, this just a short list of some of my favorites.

In order of release:

She’s Got A Way – This song is a quiet ballad that was a hit – about 12 years after its release. It was a hit on a live album, not the studio version. I think the studio version has a rawer tone to it. It is mostly piano and vocal, but it is a beautiful song talking about various characteristics of his first wife even though he doesn’t know why he likes them. [Link in Spotify]

Weekend Song – A lively song, it actually sounds familiar the first time you hear it. It’s a celebration of joy, of life, of freedom. The feeling you get when you get off your M-F 9-5 job and have the weekend to enjoy. It is a fun. A little guitar solo sprinkled in as well. A good-time song. [Link in Spotify]

Billy Joel – late 70’s

You’re My Home – Another love song for his first wife, Elizabeth, because he couldn’t afford to buy her anything. She was his rock, his home. While it does compare his wife to a house in some ways, works. It has overall light instrumentation that gives it a pastoral sound. [Link in Spotify]

I’ve Loved These Days – Everyone looks back to their past from time to time and this song embodies that feeling. You reach a time in your life where your past informs you on how you got to be where you are today. In fact, this song probably has been used as a song for high school graduations. A beautiful solo clarinet is in it as well. Original title was “These Rhinestone Days” – so glad he changed it. [Link in Spotify]

Scenes From An Italian Restaurant – One of his longest songs, it is technically two songs in one. The opening and closing are quiet slow tempo passages preparing you for the story (that takes place in the past) in the middle and finishing it at the end. The middle section has a story about Brenda and Eddie with a far more upbeat tone than the beginning/ending. Some of Joel’s best piano work and another blistering sax solo included within. [Link in Spotify]

Everybody Has A Dream – Indeed, everyone has a dream, and we should be enouraged to pursue them. Billy was going through a rough patch after divorce, so what better way to get yourself on track again – write an inspirational-type song. It is a gospel influenced song that gradually builds in volume with a choir (oddly now knowing it was originally written as a folk song). [Link in Spotify]

Half A Mile Away – This describes two people who are physically close but emotionally distant. Again, written due to the problems that can come up in relationships, it is actually an upbeat sounding song. There are some horns added in here among the oohs’. [Link in Spotify]

Billy Joel late 80’s

Until The Night – No doubt after listening to this you might think of the Righteous Brothers as it is in that style. A slow beat guides the song until the cresendos in the chorus picks things up. The song invariably points towards a couple who are together in the morning, go their separate ways to their work and then meet up again in the evening. It was a hit in the UK, but not America. [Link in Spotify]

Famous Last Words – Although this song seems to indicate he was done writing pop songs (as we would eventually find out), it is about making mistakes and seeking redemption for those past errors. It has a nice jolly feeling to it, the lyrics reference “Gone With The Wind” in part of it. I like the organ in the background as well. [Link in Spotify]

Turn The Lights Back On – After so many years not writing songs, amazingly Billy Joel turned up with this gem. It makes it seem like there will be more to come. The song reflects that he probably shouldn’t have been gone so long from making new music. It was time to turn things back on, but did he wait too long? In his mid-70’s, not necessarily likely but who knows. [Link in Spotify]

Billy Joel – now

(some notes are partially taken from Wikipedia)

Streaming your life away

Do you stream video? I venture a guess that a majority of people these days do at least some streaming. Twenty years ago it was hardly a possibility. We had videos on the internet but they were short and they weren’t very good quality. Of course I add that the internet couldn’t yet support much video or computers couldn’t handle it well either.

“Rabbit Ears” to get a TV signal

When I was growing up, we had a TV, initially black and white but eventually color. However, we only had 3 or 4 channels. First thing I recall watching was the moon landing. Otherwise, I don’t recall much about it as when I was younger, I don’t believe I watched it often. It may have been my parents partially, but the truth was there wasn’t much on. Sure, I do recall Captain Kangaroo, Sesame Street and Mister Rogers that I did watch here and there. Perhaps there was more, but I don’t remember now.

As I got older, and we had even more channels (UHF!), I did begin to watch more often. But it was by appointment only. You had to know when your show was playing or you couldn’t watch it. Nor could you skip through the commercials – though that was a good time to use the bathroom or get a snack!

I didn’t watch all that much. I did play outside with friends or went to their homes, something I believe is rarely done these days. I had other hobbies, playing music, building plastic models and reading to name a few. In those days if you missed a show, you might catch a re-run later during the summer, but usually that was that. You missed it. TV then was a fun distraction, but not something I watched a lot.

Old Style Cable Box

Cable finally came along and it was amazing. All these channels to choose from. Now you had a reason to sit and do nothing but watch since there was so much choice. The so-called adult channels were scrambled back then so if you tried you could catch glimpses of naughty parts! Hey when you are stuck in a religious household, you take what you can get.

Cable mostly replaced over the air transmissions. Yes OTA (over-the-air) was still available and still is today, but as more people got cable, the less OTA was needed. Cable was so much better anyway, better sound, better video and eventually much higher quality.

(I’ll be skipping the impact of home video as that in itself is a whole other subject)

Finally, it took Netflix to really introduce the possibilities of streaming. Initially you could only stream on your computer. Eventually it became available on DVD players and video game systems like Xbox and Nintendo. Netflix became a phenomenon. Everyone wanted it. It had all those movies and TV you could want in one place.

It was killing cable. Netflix also eventually woke up other companies to the benefits of streaming with the field becoming crowded with many companies bringing their former cable content direct to your home via the internet (or your phone – still don’t understand how someone can watch tv/videos on that tiny screen).

Streaming Choices

Today we have so much streaming choice, I think we have too much. We are beginning to see them consolidate or even go away all together. The ironic thing is streaming was supposed to be freedom from cable companies who charged a lot for you to watch just a few channels out of 100’s, but streaming companies are charging a little bit multiple times for us to watch a few shows/movies out of a huge amount of choice available.

It is ironic, but until YouTube became available on my TV, I didn’t visit the site often, if at all. I now watch it for most of my TV viewing (I don’t currently have a streaming service I pay for – though did have Netflix for several years). There are so many choices out there besides Netflix, or other streaming companies (like Paramount, Disney and Amazon Prime), that live alongside cable and the audience can only watch so much.

The biggest problem with all this content being available is that people aren’t interacting with each other as often. You can order your shopping at home, be entertained at home, order food delivered, why go out? I think streaming is very convenient and has its place, but it is one piece of a larger puzzle that is limiting interaction. We need more activities that encourage people to be outdoors or with people physically rather than cocooned within watching the boob tube.

Top !0 “obscure” songs by Pink Floyd

This subject matter may not interest everyone, but thought I’d try something different. I will pop one of these up everyone once in a while to give you songs of artists I enjoy but who have songs not everyone may have heard before. In other words, they aren’t hits. You may have only heard about them if you bought their albums. If possible, I will link to them on Spotify so you can listen and see if you agree.

Often times these songs might not even sound like the group/singer in question because of how different they sound. In today’s case, it is Pink Floyd. They are well known for mostly 2 albums “Dark Side of the Moon” and “The Wall”. There may be other things you’ve heard by them, but most people know just these two albums. So I present to you 10 songs that I think are really good, but unless you are passionate about the group, may have never heard before.

In order of release:

If – This acoustic strummer sung and written by Roger Waters has a quiet walk down memory lane feel to it. The guitar solos are lazy sounding ones as well, which works. The lyrics are introspective in nature, but it is a good song to listen to like on a lazy river. [Link on Spotify]

San Tropez – A jaunty jazzy sounding song by Roger Waters. It talks about an idealized day in Saint-Tropez, a commune in southern France on the French Riviera. It just has a nice wistfulness about it. An equally jazzy guitar solo fits the mood perfectly. It also has a bouncy jazzy piano solo. It is a nice song to listen and relax. [Link on Spotify]

Wot’s….Uh the Deal – A strange title, but then again it is on a movie soundtrack. Written by David Gilmour and Roger Waters, sung by David, it has an overall quiet tone with acoustic guitar and some piano. In fact, no guitar solo really, just a little piano ditty. It talks about taking advantage of what opportunities life gives and how they affect you later on. [Link on Spotify]

Free Four – A synthesizer-based number (wirtten by Roger Waters) with some acoustic guitar from an album for an obscure movie called “Obscured by Clouds” (ironically). It has rather simple beat and melody, but it is as close to a pop song as Pink Floyd can get. It has a nice guitar solo as well. I think it could have been a hit song even though it is slightly morbid in the lyrics partially referring to the evils of the record industry. [Link on Spotify]

Stay – Piano based and a strong song written by Richard Wright(with Roger Waters) but sung only by RIchard Wright (keyboardist). Again, written mainly for the movie “Obscured by Clouds”. It is about a one-night stand so doesn’t have the most riveting chorus but is touching in its own way and has a nice drippy guitar solo. [Link on Spotify]

Nobody Home – While “The Wall” album was immensely popular, this song may have been skipped by many. It wasn’t a hit (not that Pink Floyd typically had them) and is a quiet song. Once again written by Roger Waters to piano. It has some interesting lyrics and you’ve even got Gomer Pyle (a 50’s TV show character) lending his voice near the end. It is about trying to call someone, and no one is answering even though the caller is reaching out for help. I just think it is a well written song.

Two Suns In The Sunset – Be warned this does have a slightly harder sounding middle section but the rest of it is pure beauty even if it is talking about the end of the world (one sun is an atomic bomb btw). Roger Waters is at it again with this mainly acoustic gem. The middle break is a little brutal (and has Roger’s whiney type of voice) but the sax solo at the end blisters. [Link on Spotify]

On The Turning Away – Written by David Gilmour (and Anthony Moore) is on the first album without Roger Waters in the band. Some of the songs aren’t as strong, but this is a hidden winner. It seems to be about helping each other and not turning away. It wouldn’t be David Gilmour without a long strong hard guitar solo to close it out, but overall, this song has a quiet plaintive tone to it. [Link on Spotify]

A Great Day For Freedom – This song recalls the day the Berlin Wall came down and how the hopes and dreams for what that meant didn’t really happen (at least at the time). Written by David Gilmour and Polly Samson (now his wife). It is mostly piano focused with again a wonderful guitar solo by David Gilmour. [Link on Spotify]

Coming Back to Life – Soley written by David Gilmour it tells of how he was in poor spirits until meeting his wife and how his life took a wonderful turn and he “came back to life”. It has an interesting opening guitar part that moves into a mostly instrument free zone where he laments that he didn’t realize he missed her until he found her. It then picks up the pace with a stready beat. As is the case of many great songs from Pink Floyd, the guitar solos tear it up. [Link on Spotify]

Hope you checked the songs out even if not a Pink Floyd fan and gave them a listen. Maybe you found one or two you really liked. Interestingly most were written by Roger Waters who despite many not caring for his politics (or even his voice in some songs), does have a way with melody and lyrics.

Is the customer always right?

If you have worked retail, you have heard this phrase uttered “the customer is always right”. If you are a person who purchases items (nearly everyone), you may have heard this uttered at some point whether said by you or someone else. Is this really true or have we been bamboozled into thinking it is correct.

Anyone who has worked in retail knows that this phrase isn’t correct in any way. In fact, the people who work at the store in question will know what is allowed or not allowed at their establishment. There is zero motivation for the shop employee to lie as they more than likely want to satisfy their customer rather than lose business. Even the worst employees usually will do their best to help a customer and provide correct information.

How did it come to be that many shoppers will utter this phrase if they don’t get what they perceive to be the correct answer to a query? It’s like these shoppers are toddlers and this is their response because they aren’t getting the answer they want to hear.

I have heard some people state that the phrase was originally “the customer is always right in matters of taste” or something to that effect. According to Wikipedia, it was in fact “the customer is always right” coined by Marshall Field and Harry Gordon Selfridge at the turn of the 20th century.

However, back then customer service was different. Customers were served by proprietors and had to ask for what they wanted to purchase as it was behind the counter. They wanted to improve customer service, so if they weren’t offering or doing something the customer wanted, the customer was right to ask for it. The goal was to have happy customers.

It worked. It boosted business.

Interestingly over the years this phrase has come to be mis-used by customers to try to get what they want – even if it is against policy or impossible. I think with the advent of social media and online shopping, it is more likely that no matter that demand, a retailer can meet the demands of a customer even if it means losing that sale themselves.

I think the way physical stores can differentiate themselves from online retailers is by being personable. While the customer is entitled to their opinion, the retailer can still do everything they can to make things right. Sure, customers can take advantage of this to the extreme but overall if the retailer makes some concessions where they can, they can be successful and only make it seem like the customer was right.

[Funny enough, the phrase has come up in other languages differently. “The customer is never wrong” in french for the RItz Hotel, “the customer is king” in Germany and “the customer is a god” in Japan.]

Video Games – too real?

I’m from the age before things called video games were around. Technically when I was in kindergarten, crude video games may have been in development or working, but what I’ll refer to as video games began in the early 70’s.

[Incidentally for this article I’m skipping PC (computer) gaming. It is significant and came before home consoles, but it is a whole different story or angle. I also skipped the first Odyssey system as it was rather rudimentary – ahead of its time you could say.]

I did not frequent or even visit video arcades – where you had various games lined up you could play for a quarter (or many more quarters). So, the only real introduction I had to video games was when they became available for the home. Pong was the very first game available. It was pretty basic, but it was amazing for its time.

I didn’t get Pong (or rather my parents didn’t buy it for me as I was only about 10 at this time). However, when the Atari VCS came out, boy did I want that. It was so cool. Not only was it in color where Pong was only black and white, but you could swap out different games! It was so exciiting! Alas, my parents didn’t buy it for me. It was expensive for its day, but I don’t know why they didn’t get it for me (or my brother and sister).

Super Pong IV

Instead, they got me Pong, but not just any old pong, it had 4 versions of pong, and it was from Radio Shack (a popular place for electronics in its time, but sadly no more). I don’t remember it well, but it lost its luster quickly. It was cool, but too limited.

After that, I had to resort to playing at friends’ houses. I got to experience Intellivision, Odyssey 2 and Atari (and some PC games). For the most part I missed out, and so missed out on the so-called video game crash. Where the market was flooded with so many games that most of them were crap (see E.T.) that people decided to stop playing.

Sure, there were other systems coming out that were more powerful, but many people seemed to prefer the original Atart over the years (now renamed the 2600). I think most didn’t get very popular because the controllers were terrible. Atari may have had a simple one button and control stick controller, but it worked pretty well. Many other systems thought more was better and had controllers with number buttons or slidey circle type things on them (see below for an example)

Intellivision from 1979 – borrowed from historyjunkie.com

It wasn’t until 1985 (here in the US) that Nintendo released the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System). I was finally able to buy my own things by this time and I bought it in early 1986 and fell in love with the Super Mario Game (not so much Duck Hunt). I was hooked but to be fair I didn’t play all that many games. I wasn’t that good, for one thing, but I wasn’t hooked on the games from the arcades – guess partial thanks to my parents there.

Over the years since other companies like Sega, Sony and Microsoft brought out systems and video games grew to a multi-billion dollar industry. Sega was early to the industry just following on the heals of Nintendo. Sony originally was partnering with Nintendo but instead went their own route with the popular Playstation series. Microsoft eventually came out with the Xbox series of systems which has been pretty popular was well.

Gaming has now reached the point though where it is so realistic and so time consuming and costly to create the games, it takes a lot longer for new games to arrive. We are reaching the point where all the controllers are basically the same, the quality of the games is basically the same between systems it begs the question, where do we go from here?

Yes, there is VR (virtual reality) but it is not only costly to purchase, but you have to wear a awful headset to play them (and run into your TV thus breaking it because you can’t see around you). Microsoft dabbled with Kinect and Sony with Move, following Nintendo’s Wii success but even those systems haven’t lasted the test of time.

I think holographics have potential but are quite a long way from being something useful for gaming. Perhaps some type of 3D display with be invented that works better than 3D of the past and is a stop-gap to holography? I’m not really sure, but even the next systems from the big 3 video game makers may point the way. They will either be a big enough bump in performance (graphics and computational) or they will have AI in them that makes them more unique and worth purchasing.

As it is I have lost interest in most games. They are too difficult for me. I don’t like the advent of smarter games as I have aged. I am currently playing a game called Arise: A Simply Story and frankly it is the kind of game I can play now. It is challenging but simple enough that I can get through it.

Mostly though my console is for watching youtube or other video content not actual gaming. It will be interesting though to see how the future plays out.

Shopping – prefer online, off or combination?

Since the rise of the internet, shopping has become a huge part of being “online”. Are we looking at the end of physical stores or is online shopping just a fad?

I spent my youth without the internet even forming a thought in our minds, but if you are under 25, you probably don’t know what life is like without the internet. Let me tell you, it was both more fun and less fun at the same time.

Shopping in only physical stores meant you could only buy what was available in the store. Sure some may have had catalogs (look it up if never heard of them) to get items not usually carried in the store, but for the most part it was store stock only. In addition, you had a variety of specialty stores to choose from. Stores that specialized in clothing, toys, electronics and hobbies. Sure, some of that exists now, but more often than not, these days it is a world of big box stores and little else.

Another benefit to physical stores is being out with people. Now I’m not the most social person, but just seeing people enjoying themselves out was cool, it was where it was at. In my day, kids hung out at the malls. Now where do you hang out? Tiktok? Instagram? By yourself (or virtually with your friends)?

The smaller shops and more specialized shops just can’t attract enough business in today’s climate with the internet just a click away. Even bigger specialty stores are having a difficult time. I used to regularly shop at Best Buy, not always to buy something but to look at things I might want. Video games, DVDs, CDs and software were some things you would look for besides the electronics like TV’s and radios. Now Best Buy has done away with most of those easy to purchase items and mostly only carry large ticket items (with some exceptions). There is NO REASON to go there unless you need an appliance or tv for example.

Online shopping (among other tech advances) have done away with what made shopping enjoyable. What fun can be had shopping online using a computer or your phone and getting said item in a day or two? It’s just spending money. You might enjoy the items, but the act of locating them, that joy is gone.

More often than not, at least in my case, you shop for what you need. Just browsing (ironically being on the internet) an online store is chaotic. You can use search to find items, but still have to have some idea of what you are interested in buying. Amazon, Temu, Overstock and most online stores try to be all to everyone. There is TOO MUCH STUFF (and much of it not really good quality).

Because of the big boys just mentioned, it is more difficult to find smaller websites that carry quality items at reasonable prices, but not so much choice you can’t make up your mind. I have found items online I can’t find in person, but that doesn’t mean we should lose physical stores.

Unfortunately, with the move towards digital products, the stores that should still exist can’t, the product doesn’t exist any longer (video games, dvds, cds). It is a sad time for retail. We are moving towards a more isolated society. You stay in your little cocoon of a home and connect via devices to your friends and family. It just so detached. You get your food delivered, your products delivered, and you work from home, why go anywhere?

It isn’t very much fun to me and as I mentioned I am not a very social person. Perhaps I am showing my age, but while I do purchase some items online (mainly out of necessity), I prefer to do so in person when I can. Aside from groceries, there is little reason to get out in today’s world.

Books – how do you read today?

I have always been an avid reader though realize not everyone finds it enjoyable. Regardless books (and magazines) have changed a lot over the years.

Physical books still exist, but I don’t know for how much longer. Magazines technically still exist though I think it’s been 10 years or so since I bought one. What’s the point when you can get all the information more up to date via the internet. My grandmother used to love reading The National Enquirer though I doubt she would have transitioned to an online version (yes it still exists even in physical form).

However, back to books. I have, for the most part, stuck to science fiction books, though do dabble in other genres from time to time. I have mainstays like Star Trek and Star Wars but have strayed away from those lately. How I read my books though has changed greatly.

I used to go to a bookstore and peruse the shelves and see what new titles interested me and maybe make a purchase. Eventually I rediscovered that libraries were a great institution and began borrowing books to read. It also gave me “free” access to movies and music as well.

Over time I purchased less books (who has room to store them anyway!). The library filled my needs. Yes, sometimes you had to wait for a copy to be returned by a previous library patron, but overall, it was easy to get ahold of one when you needed, and it was basically free (tax money paid for the library).

Around the time of the pandemic, I decided to give e-books a try full-time since libraries were closed. I had previously tried a Nook from Barnes & Noble which was nice – and included magazines – but I couldn’t get into reading with it. It was a bit heavy, but I felt physical books were still better.

As mentioned though with the pandemic, I went full bore into e-books. I got a Kobo e-reader (because I’m not a fan of Amazon) and I got into reading electronically. The beauty of the device was being able to connect it to my city’s library and I could download books and never have to go to the library in person (which again was closed during my initial use of the device).

It was light, had a nice slipcover, I could keep a list of books to read and even purchase books if I so chose. Sure, it had to be charged every so often (which I would keep forgetting to do) but it was so much better for reading.

Then last year I began having issues with it. The power button wasn’t working so great and at times I had difficulty using it. It was frustrating and so I had to give up reading for a little while. At Christmas though I mentioned in passing that it was broken and my ex (I was there with the kids to celebrate) said she had an e-reader she wasn’t using. We put it back to factory settings and I had a new-ish e-reader.

Funny enough though, it is an Amazon e-reader. It came with its own slipcover, and I could still use it with my library. Despite my reluctance to use Amazon, beggars can’t be choosers. I am actually pretty happy with it. I have found it works better with the Libby (library) app and it also works seamlessly with the GoodReads website (can track your read and wish list books).

Now that I am fully into the e-book space, do I consider them better than physical books? I would say yes. It is much lighter to carry around plus easier to borrow and/or purchase books. Only I still have to remember to charge it (and it seems to lose charge quicker than the Kobo).

Physical books are more important if good visuals are what you want – like a coffee table book. I still hope bookstores will continue to thrive, but sadly I think it will be less than 5 years for most to be gone. True, I am part of the problem, but you can’t stop the march of progress. Just like cell phones made landlines mostly obsolete, e-readers will make bookstores and perhaps eventually physical libraries, a thing of the past.

Check, Cash, Card or …?

The way we pay for goods has drastically changed over the last 30 years. Cash used to be king – to be fair it was the only way to pay for items for quite a long time. Checks came along and made it even easier to buy items and not have to carry a ton of cash with you all the time. More recently, we hit upon credit cards (morphing to electronic payments) and we could buy even more without carrying cash or writing a silly check.

Let’s look at each mode of payment.

Cash

The once king of purchasing power has lessened greatly in recent years. I can recall though as I went to the store and realized I could only purchase what I had cash for. As a young child I could spend it on what I wanted, but there was a limit. Things were cheaper then as well, which helped a lot. Seeing a $50 bill was amazing as I was lucky to have a $20 on me at times.

If you didn’t have enough cash, you didn’t buy the item. Simple as that. There was no alternative. Saving money became important so you could finally get an item you wanted. Cash taught people how to count properly or if they didn’t know how, they quickly learned.

Checks

Checks were all about being about to write on a piece of paper an amount to be paid and have it come out of your account. This was pretty cool when it first became available. Now you didn’t have to carry much cash, have your checkbook available for those larger purchases.

You certainly couldn’t overspend though, or you’d get bank fees for trying to spend more than was in your account. It did take a bit longer to pay at the store because you had to write it out. Until finally they hit upon having the updated registers print it for you! You did have to keep an eye on your balance better (balance the checkbook for errors) but it enabled easier and bigger purchases for sure. People could still do math, they had to.

Credit Cards

Having the ability to use a plastic card to make payments initially was only slightly more convenient than checks. When we first used them, they had to get out this sliding machine to imprint your card onto paper. They also checked that you had signed the card and the signatures matched.

It look a bit longer to process at the register but it was convenient to only have to carry a plastic card to make purchases instead of checks or cash. The worst thing about them is they could be easier to lose and if you didn’t sign the back, easier for someone else to use your card. You could also overdraw your account and cause more issues. On the plus side, you didn’t have to do much math (unless math is your jam).

Electronic payments

Finally, credit cards dropped the requirement to use the machine and eventually move to where you never gave the card to the cashier, it stayed in your hand and you used the machine to swipe (or later insert it) yourself. Many people also use a debit card, which directly debits your account of available funds – a card much more like a check.

You could even make purchases online with a credit card by typing in your credentials. it had its share of pitfalls if you weren’t careful, but it was so convenient. It meant you could buy loads more items you couldn’t afford and gradually allow you to pay it back with interest.

There are a multitude of other payment methods, but these are the big ones. Will any of them disappear? People still use cash but it is far rarer and in another 10 years or less may be mostly gone. People still use checks, but I think they are even rarer than cash and should be gone before cash. Bizarrely my landlord requires checks (or money orders) so I still write a check once a month.

For the most part people use cards both in person and online. There are alternative ways to purchase online as well (Paypal, Cash app, etc) but for most I imagine it is their credit/debit card. People can also pay using their phone which connects to their bank account.

What will be used in the future? Pay by having your eyeball scanned? Using fingerprints? Maybe we’ll just have a chip embedded in us so we can easily buy items. I’m not sure and I hope we don’t have those types of payments while I’m still alive.

Electric Cars – Public Wishy Washy?

I’ll say it out front, I’m an electric car supporter, though currently do not own an electric car. I just think they have so much potential, yet plenty of people (especially in the U.S.) have pushback against owning one.

I’ll address what I feel are 5 reasons why people aren’t considering electric vehicles to purchase. There are probably others, but I feel these are the largest obstacles viewed by the public – not all are truly negatives, more like negative viewpoints. I’ll also address 3 reasons why you should get one – if you can afford it.

Cons:

COST

Affording an electric vehicle is a primary consideration for many, so we’ll tackle COST first. Yes, electric vehicles overall are more expensive than traditional vehicles. The cost of the batteries is higher hence the higher price for the vehicle. This is normal for relatively recent technology to be more expensive at first. We are already seeing prices come down, and the more people buy them, the more the price will go down.

I can’t afford anything new at the moment (including used cars) but the more electric vehicles get out there, the more there will be a used market, which will help make them more affordable to more people.

CHARGIING

Charging infrastructure is the next topic I’ll discuss as a current negative for electric vehicles. This is more important for long distance travel. Puttering around town in an electric vehicle can be done easily, even ones with lower range. It’s when you need to go farther that it can become an issue.

Chargers are becoming more numerous and with more vehicles soon being able to use the NACS (system Telsa uses), it will be even easier to charge for most people on the move. However, for many people, they can charge at home. Not only is it cheaper, but you also don’t have to even bother with a filling station (gas). The car can be ready for you. You do have to remember to plug it in, but most electric vehicles will take care of the rest (including turning off charging when not needed)

The main group of people who may have difficulty with home charging are apartment dwellers and inner-city locations. Currently this is where the grid is lacking. Although most of the people who live in them probably cannot currently afford an EV, it isn’t as good a prospect for them to get one since charging can be more challenging.

DISTANCE

Driving distance is something people don’t think about with gas engines because there are gas stations everywhere (for the most part). However, since EV’s until fairly recently had a shorter range than gas vehicles, it was potentially an issue when travelling long distances. Frankly most people can get by with the distance an EV can travel. I think it’s more the charging infrastructure than distance holding some people back.

LIFESTYLE CHANGE

You may have to change some habits to drive an EV and that may be holding some poeple back. Rather than stopping by a gas station on the way to or from work, you’ll need to remember to plug the car in when you get home (or arrange a stop at a public charger). Most new EV’s charge enough for everyone’s needs in 30 minutes time or less. On long distances, it is good to stop and walk a bit, hit the restroom or eat so charging time is not an issue.

WEATHER

Overall, an EV can handle any kind of weather. True colder weather can hamper range in most EV’s. However, some EV’s have battery heaters called heat pumps that use very little energy but help keep a battery in good health. The reason weather can be an issue is if you don’t consider what you may need to do differently to care for your EV. Plenty of gas vehicles struggle with cold weather as well, so this isn’t really an EV only problem. You lose range in gas vehicles as well, but again with the plethora of refilling options, gas is less of an issue in the cold.

Hyundai Ioniq 5 – fully electric

Positives:

QUIET

EVs are quiet to drive both inside and going by you when it drives by. I have yet to be in one or next to one, but I want that experience. I can listen to music without a loud engine, or you can have conversations without having to raise your voice as much.

BETTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

While EVs do currently use some oil (or other fossil fuel) during the manufacturing process (as do gas vehicles), they contribute very little outside of that. Sure, it depends where your electricity comes from but more and more of electricity is through renewable energy like wind, solar and water. An EV over its lifetime will be far more environmentally friendly than a corresponding gas vehicle.

MAINTENANCE

EVs require very little maintenance. Sure, you have to change the tires regularly and also consider shocks and wipers, but most things will last the vehicle’s life. Gas vehicles spend a lot of their time even below 100,000 miles getting work done on them. There are so many things that can go wrong gas vehicles, it’s amazing that people aren’t running from gas vehicles to EVs simply because of that.

LEGISLATION

Finally, we tackle how legislation can help with the adoption of EVs. There are already incentives to help with the purchase of an EV and some states/cities are putting in rules to limit gas vehicle purchases. Some are against laws like this, but I think it makes sense as long as the charging infrastructure is built out more and prices come down a bit.

This article is relatively short so it isn’t possible to have covered all of the variables in each category. In addition, EVs won’t solve all the pollution problems on their own, but it is one way most people can help contribute to making things better for the planet and better for us.

Incidentally, while I applaud Telsa for bringing the EV into the public eye, I cannot stand their vehicles. Too screen centric inside and a boring blob outside. At least these days there are plenty of other companies making good EVs, just need more people buying them (and someone to buy me one :P)