Wellll, ER, I avowed that I'm skeptical of new technology, for the sake of new technology, anyway. So I wouldn't be inclined to label your attitude as all that oldfartish, lest I tar myself with the same, uh, tar, I guess it would be.

One of the things that drives me crazy listening to the True Old Farts is the KidsTheseDays Rant. The problem is that we have grown different from them. They were just born, it's not their fault. But as Tom was quick to point out above, the young gravitate to shiny new technology, and that's fine, that's one of the things the young are good for. Or I suppose I should say "good at", except that being consumer sinks for pretty technology is a useful economic function. And that's fine...

I don't own a smartphone, and have trouble seeing the point. The pads look interesting, maybe in a year or two when they've got the bugs worked out...I don't measure my mental health or my fitness in the present world by my degree of compulsion to grab magpie-like at new technology. I'm not past my expiration date yet, and I like to think that what I've gained is perspective about technology.

So cut the maudlin crap, ER. Seriously.