A Nurse with a Gun

Wednesday, October 26, 2005

Telephones and the Price of Gas

I had to replace my telephone again today. I drove to the hardware store in a vain quest for a phone with a detachable receiver on a curly cord. The kind that was ubiquitous 30 years ago. Simple, durable, with a dial. The kind of telephone that lasted forever, that worked through storms, provided secure conversations, required no batteries or chargers, and is still in use in the White House. My search failed. All that was available were complicated cordless wonder phones with integrated answering machines and God knows what else. Well guess what? If I'm not home, I'm not listening to your messages when I finally get home. If it's important, you will find me, or you will wait in line.
The American public has bought into the idea that they must stay constantly in touch, and be ever aware of anything happening within their spheres of human influence. Horse hockey! The world will get along just fine without most of us, and we could all use a break from the ever present invasions into our privacy. There are those of us who simply want a static free means of communicating with others. There are people in America who make more calls than they receive. Yet they are forced to buy an electronic monstrosity that does not meet their needs. Sadly, many of these folks have acquiesced, and purchased complex gizmos they do not know how to use, and don't have the time to learn. When I am in my office, and I have to make a telephone call, I have to get one of the ladies to dial the damned phone for me. There is something wrong with that! Yet we, as a society have accepted it, and are willing to pay more money for more whizbang covering up less functionality, all encased in a product that will be broken or worn out in a year.
With the passage of the Congressional Bill protecting gunmakers, there are some who believe the prices of guns will now fall due to less risk of litigation to the manufacturer. It will never happen. We have shown the gun makers we will pay their price.
There are some who believe the price of gasoline will eventually drop below $2.50/gallon. It will never happen. We have shown we will pay the price.
There are some who believe a durable telephone will be made once again. It will never happen. We have shown we will replace them every year if need be.
We have done this to ourselves. Thankfully though, while Googling the internet for a telephone picture, I came upon multiple websites selling restored antique telephones. I ordered one just like the phone I had in 1970. $225. Take that Ma Bell!

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10 Comments:

Blogger Gandalin said...

"There are some who believe the price of gasoline will eventually drop below $2.50/gallon. It will never happen. We have shown we will pay the price."

It happened already.

I paid $2.28/gal yesterday.

10:09 AM  
Blogger Xavier said...

LOL Well piss in my Cheerios! Where?

10:25 AM  
Blogger Gandalin said...

Southwestern Ohio.

By the way, your weblog is absolutely one of the best on the 'net. It is an excellent mix of opinion, information, and the assortment of topics is great.

Good luck with Joe Dog. We ended up with 3 "replacements" after we lost our beloved canine friend, but the hole she left is bigger still.

11:45 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Xavier,

Same here, $2.35/gal in So. Texas. I read that it should be around $2/gl in Dec. We'll see.

BTW, great blog; I added you to my favorites. I hope to be getting into Nursing school this spring but can't decide what specialty (everyone said to try all of it before deciding) to get into.

1:01 PM  
Blogger Xavier said...

I'm being ROBBED!!!!!!!!!!!!

1:12 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Im being robbed its still $2.89 here in Reno.

ericn

4:49 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

$2.30/gal here in Ky. rotary phones on Ebay are very cheap:)

BTW, great blog
cheers,
Don 1960 series 2

6:36 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

You are correct that many of us will pay the high prices now being asked. The good news is that more of us will buy these items if the price were lower.

Happily, the sellers can often make *more* money by selling at a lower price - the increased volume more than offsets the decreased profit margin.

This is pretty much the only reason why new glocks don't cost $1000 each.

10:33 AM  
Blogger Pawpaw said...

re: telephones. During a past life (college), I was a janitor for Ma Bell. One of my duties was to get up early and stock the trucks before they pulled out in the morning.

The phone you are looking for is a 500 touch-tone. I haven't seen one in years. I believe you might find it here: http://www.coolstuffcheap.com/cr58-bk-black-1960-s-desk-telephone.html

11:15 AM  
Blogger Pawpaw said...

Or this one: http://www.phonedoctor.com/25basdestel.html

11:19 AM  

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