I love this time of the year, the Christmas lights, the food and the fire in the fireplace. Holidays in Southern California have their own timeline, and this year for extra cheer we have the deluge of the century bearing down on us. Time to make merry and stay dry, and time for another log on the fire.
Another reason I look forward at this time are all of the lists of things past and things future. I enjoy the prognostications of what is to come, and what we saw. In this climate both real and economic it is exciting to see some glimmer of good news on the horizon. Good news, even potential good news brings positive actions, and that is what we need. The forecasts are looking up and I rejoice at their prospect, but then I am chastened by forecasts past that have not brought the results foretold. Pardon the language, but I’m also watching ‘A Christmas Carol’ to get myself in the mood.
OK, this year is the resolution to save all of the forecasts in a folder and then review them at the end of the year. Just like Ebeneezer at his counting table I will keep tally of who was naughty and who was nice, well in his honor, just who was naughty.
To get myself in the mood I read today’s list “You’re Out: 20 Things That Became Obsolete this Decade.” Now I feel old, and then contemplate just how fast things come and go. It seems like just yesterday for many of these items. Here’s a quick recap of those things that will not be missed – OK, some of them will be missed:
- VCRs & VHS Taps
- Travel Agents
- The Separation between Work and Personal Life
- Forgetting
- Bookstores
- Watches
- Land Line Phones
- Maps
- Phone Calls
- Classifieds in Newspapers
- Dial-up Internet
- Encyclopedias
- CD’s
- Phone Sex via 1-900 numbers
- Film and film cameras
- Yellow Pages and Address Books
- Catalogs
- Fax Machines
- Wires
- Hand Written Letters
Now I really feel old. Time for some liquid Christmas ‘cheer’ to deaden the pain, and to help me forget. I worked in many of these fields, and there is no going back. Bah, Humbug!
