Geez. I hear this every damn day.

We're all the same. Seriously.

and then the screen says "Please wait..."

Infuriating!

And it’s not a smart TV. I cannot even begin to understand the spaghetti dish of wiring my hubby and sons added to access other components. It’s bad enough trying to dust behind it. I hear you about the 95 buttons! Then there are 4 remotes on the table plus a wireless keyboard. I’m afraid to even go near it.

I'm afraid to venture back there...

Last time I tried to do that, I found a few Winston Light cigarette butts from 1978 laying among the scary black wires...

I do the same behind my washer and dryer. It gets really bad back there, so I have to do it about once a month.

Last edited Wed Nov 5, 2025, 03:58 PM - Edit history (1)

I’ve read three posts, two cartoons and a political message, so far today, all of which subjected me to that foolishness.

OTOH I’m 69 and my 50yo partner can’t figure out even the universal remote that I got because four remote controls were too complicated.

Sometimes you just have to power everything down (completely, pull the plug from the wall) to resolve some differences of opinion between the devices as to their various states. Shades of the “have you rebooted?” Troubleshooting question from 40 years ago. You’d think engineers could get this stuff correct.
/rant

Ai is an evolving species. It will learn to adapt and compete. The more conscious it becomes the more it becomes an invasive species competing with humans for resources. The solution is to make all AI software open source and non-copyrightable.

As far as phones, I wish smartphones would go the way of the dinosaur - I think they have caused brain damage. A simple flip phone is just fine, thank you.

Looking for a new car too and get the pop ups from Brittany.
I tell her I avoid high pressure salespeople, have a nice day.

Get a classic. I have a 1952 chevy no computers, no key fob, 4 on the floor, & regular carburetor. All this newer stuff a warranty is a must have since everything is controlled by one of several on board computers. We do have new stuff but all under warranty since there are no user serviceable parts inside.

or the alternator in one of my 1960s cars. I was doing it alone. I couldn't hold onto the replacement part and bolt it on at the same time, so I got a rope and rigged up some kind of hoist to lift it in place. No problem...easy.

Now, when I lift the hood, I just stare at the engine, shake my head, close the hood, and take it to the repair shop...because I can't identify anything in there.

Only repairable by skilled technician and preferably at the dealership = add on sales coupled with programed obsolescence bigger profits for big corporations.

Those tire pressure sensors.

Both of my cars have a permanent warning light on the dash...not because the tire pressure is low, but rather, because all of the sensors are shot and I refuse to get them replaced.

They ain't cheap and then the labor for dismouning and remounting the tires makes it advisable to only replace them when putting new tires on.

Cost $500 and the light came back on again 30 days later most likely a different sensor. Not spending $2k to replace four sensors. And what did we do before the sensors anyway

Me too. My 1994 Ford Ranger has one, so I decide what gear I want to drive in.
I can handle Fuel Injection, as long as it's older 80s-90s versions.

I only watch videos of humans talking and then only humans who I know already. They can fake people with that AI shit too. They also take 8-12 minutes to tell me something I could easily relate in 30 seconds.

Long ago, that I was going to keep my '92 4runner and restored a lot of under the hood stuff recently. I sold that BMW with all the sensors and electronic stuff that costs a lot to fix. Now I have my trusty 5 speed with 4wd and it runs great. Going to get it painted soon too. And I can afford all that for less than the cost of replacing it with something I won't like.

For what it's worth, I use the following to keep AI results out of my internet searches: "your search terms -ai".

My wife has her escape,,,, ford escape that is. ha JFC it has the full load of shit including tracking software, lane departure and more crap than I care even to think about. She loves it. Its a turbo rig so I like the driving but there it ends.

I have a few cars to keep me busy and riding in style. One of my favorites is a 95 town car and even it has to much electronic stuff that I am currently trying to delete. Much easier said than done by the way. I am retired and like to stay busy at my pace trough out the day. Work a bit drink coffee, work a bit drink coffee. Today however it will be work a bit. Drink screwdrivers at 10. Yea day drinking with plenty of reason.

I am sick to death of poorly written manuals for shit. By the way you would not believe the size of the manual for my wifes rig. Must be 500pgs of very thin paper.

I could go on.
When is it all, to fucking much.
Yea I am what my kids call a geez.

Even those cars have stuff on them that I've never figured out how to use.

I'm trying to assess a 2026 Hyundai Tucson now, and I'm getting bombarded with emails from dealers.

I still can't figure out the best trim level for my needs from a cost/benefit perspective.

God, I hate buying cars.

Something funny:

I read a long time ago that these are the following "stages of old man"

Duffer
Codger
Geezer
Coot

I think I'm approaching coothood!

Keyed ignitions are not all they're cracked up to be.

In the late 90's, a co-worker of mine had a bunch of keychains and keys on a key lanyard weighing it down causing damage to the keyed ignition and she had to have her ignition replaced. The mechanic told her flat out why her ignition went bad and she stopped placing all this weight on the ignition of her vehicle.



I had a Grand Prix and once I got it paid off, I couldn't get the key out of the ignition at all. Like ever. I had to put a drill bit in my console and insert the drill bit into the bottom of the steering column to release my key from the ignition. Every time I went someplace.


As you know, I replace my 2011 Ford Escape last year. It only happened a handful of times but the entire steering column would seize up on me when I shut my truck off. I couldn't release the key from the ignition or move the steering wheel at all. It was locked tight. I had to wait awhile for it to behave and return to normal. I think it might have been a faulty anti-theft device but it doesn't matter anymore why the hell it did this.


It wasn't that long ago I had a discussion with another DU'er about key ignition vehicles vs. push start/key fob vehicles. The other DU'er was adamant about key fobs being hacked and how easy it is to steal a car with a hacked key fob compared to a key ignition. Alright fine but I had to explain that all it took to steal a key ignition type of car was to jimmy the door with a wired coat hanger and hotwire the ignition. This actually happened to my moms 1980 something car when I was in high school. Thieves have been steeling cars since their invention. It doesn't matter if the ignition is key ignition or a push start.

My only issue with a key fob is sometimes I throw it someplace inside the vehicle and then I can't find it as I'm getting out of my car. I'm getting better at not doing this because it takes up a bunch of my time.


Also in this new car, I really like the blind spot warnings. There are certain places (the blind spot obviously) that I can't see the other vehicle whatsoever. That blind spot warning prevents me from having a collision during a lane change and jacking up my insurance cost.


I prefer to use my cell phone instead of a dirty telephone booth. Also, I wish that people would get the fuck off their cell phones out in public. No one wants to hear private phone conversations at the store. I can't tell you how many stores that I left without buying anything because someone else was carrying on a phone conversation right next to me. They need to walk their ass out to their car and talk. Fucko's!!!

I enjoy the convenience of having a cell phone, but sometimes I think that all of this technology is too much because I don't think people really communicate on a deep level anymore.

The written word is flat and shows no emotion, yet we all (me included) depend on texts these days. I think this takes away from communication. It makes communication with another soul "flat", even when we use emojis.

My problem with the technology in cars, is that technology fails. I'd rather depend on my own senses, and I'd rather depend on a mechanical component rather than an electrical one. Don't get me wrong...as you stated, mechanical technology does indeed fail as well. But at least when something mechanical fails, I have a good chance of fixing it myself, or at least have someone else fix it without having to take out a home equity loan to get it fixed.

I kind of envy you being at peace with the latest technology, and I wish I could get to where you are with all of this stuff. Maybe I'm just getting too old.

I hope you are well, Niagara!

I understand what you're explaining about texting.


I also understand what you're saying about the technology failing in the newer vehicles. The sensors do get messed up from minor accidents. But I'm glad those extra safety precautions are in place because of the blind spots AND there's no shortage of bad drivers.


There's some technology that I hesitate with and balk and bark at! Most recently I received my new credit card in the mail since the old one is soon to expire.

The sticker on the new credit card had a scan this QR code or go to blah blah blah website to activate the new card. I almost had an anxiety attack because it didn't contain it's usually call this 1-800 number. I took the card off the adhesive and underneath on the 3 fold paper was the 1-800 number to activate my new credit card! Whew! What a relief!


I'm also having a password issue currently. I'm hoping to figure it out this weekend.


I'm well and thank you, Lucky. I hope that you are recovering nicely from that dreadful shingles.

My credit card number is getting stolen on the average about every 6 weeks, so I have to dispute the charge, and then get a new credit card. It has happened 5 or 6 times recently.

One of the recent charges was by someone taking a $500 limo ride in the Bronx.

I dread having to re-activate a new card because I'm super careful about calling an invalid number.

Best of luck with your password issue.

Glad to hear you are doing well. I'm still kickin'. The shingles blisters are scabbing over, but the back and hip pain is as bad as ever. I'm trying to live with it, hoping it goes away soon, but everything I'm reading says that this pain can last awhile. That's why I'm posting so much...trying to distract myself.

Have a good rest of your week.

Very frustrating for sure!


Thank you for the luck, I think that I'll need it.


I'm glad that you're still here with us. That neuralgia pain from shingles varies in length from person to person. I certainly hope that it doesn't last too much longer for you. Here's to a quick recovery!

Thank you. You have a good rest of the week as well.

We'll get senior discounts to Jurassic Park.

Or we'll be exhibits.

I hope you are well, my friend.

Sometimes when I am reading stuff on the internet:

"I'll always be hip."

Now I'm not, and that's the way I want it.

Doing pretty well, thanks, my friend! Yesterday's election results gave me a boost.

I peaked at 16, Harker.

Or as a friend of mine says: I used to be hot shit. Now I'm a cool turd in a Dixie cup.

I used to work with this guy, and he used to say this at least once a day...for years.

I don't think I've heard that one before.

Vietnam vet. I was pretty close with this guy and his family for years.

He used to make these noises...like a puffing sound that came out as OOOF OOOF.

So the woman in the next cubicle over reported him to HR, saying he had Tourette's.

He had to go to HR and tell them that he didn't have Tourette's.

They asked him to please stop making the noise.

After that, he did it more.

He knew they couldn't fire him because he was a key employee in a secured location.

I used to smoke.

We had to go to a special room designated for smokers.

We worked in a secure area, and sometimes we had to go to a more secure area, which was a small room, like a SCIF.

He lit up a cigarette in that small room.

I said: You know you can't smoke in here, right?

He said: I don't give a fuck.

Another employee came in and read him the riot act for smoking.

My buddy said: If you don't get the fuck out of my face, you're going to have a problem.

The guy continued yelling at him, so my friend slapped him around.

At work!

While a cigarette was hanging out of his mouth, in a no smoking area.

He didn't get fired for that either. He knew he had job security.

Can you imagine if that happened today? Oh boy...

I'm going to write a book someday, Harker.

Maybe you could sign it for me with your autopen.

anything we have ever found on the internet is a crap shoot

The first item is often an AI answer, which I almost always ignore. I went over to Google like I sometimes do for images, it's a bit better for that than DDG; same thing, about a dozen items the first is an AI answer which easy to ignore.

Try searching with -ai added as if it is an extra word. I don't even have to bother with that.

I don't have a Google account. You don't need one. Logout and stay logged out. Or if you must, login twice a day, check email and immediately log out. Do you really need to be on a short Google leash, instantly checking it whenever it beeps?

Opt out of as much shit as you can. Strip your devices down to what you really need. Over-use DU, not Google.

Last year i could find a relatives address with a google search. Now just pages of crap.

10-4 dinosaur

I ignore and neglect what I don't want. I don't care if the manufacturers want to add the crap, I just wish we didn't have to pay for it being there.

I like that, Marthe!

I object to being constantly surveilled; to being required to share data, especially on a cell phone, which is the least secure device in my system; to the fact that companies that fail to keep my data secure pay no meaningful penalty for their dereliction; and to the efforts to use my data to covertly manipulate me.

And if the "assistive" innovations in cars today are so helpful, why does it seem like drivers today are so much worse? (I think our money was better spent when it paid for drivers' ed. in high schools.)

Fucking AI, fucking cell phones, fucking cars, fucking televisions... they can all go to hell.

I first signed onto the internet in the late 'seventies. I've blacklisted so much of the modern internet that my browser looks like it's stuck in 1998.

My computers run Linux. I use the command line a lot, just as I did back in BSD and PDP-11 times. Quitting Windows 98SE for Linux was awesome, my fingers remembered stuff and mostly everything "just worked."

My 20+ year old truck is mostly analog.

My television doesn't have any channels. It plays DVDs and two or three no-advertising streaming services. That's all it does. No cable, no satellite, no broadcast. My television remote control doesn't have any numbers on it.

My cell phone is the most primitive 4GLTE flip phone model I could find a new replacement battery for. Some days I just want to smash my cell phone or throw it in the ocean but that would be bad for the environment and I'd just have to find another one. I probably wouldn't have a cell phone at all but it seems to be a requirement if you want to be considered a fully functional 21st century adult.

I just do not get it. All the new things, they are nice and very cool but I do not need one more distraction while driving. Being over 70 is enough thank you. My car is getting old and I am terrified after having a stroke so I am signing myself up for Driving school. I want to be clear and certain when I drive again but will they have old cars to relearn? ***besides that the genius guys in this city had torn it apart, making it cool or just actually up to date? I do not know but my husband who does drive can barely find his way around. Even the street names are going a different way.

All the way down your post. It is harder than I ever thought it would be. The computer I barely know but it was early enough to be able to learn the basics.....so far

Love your post.

I feel your pain!

But I had to pay a person. There was one cashier with a line of about a dozen people. Insanity.