I have been listening to a programme on my coal powered wireless set about the launch of 3-D mobile phones. I suppose since mobile phones seem to do just about everything these days ( I assume you can still use them to talk remotely to other people) there's no reason that they shouldn't operate in 3-D though to be honest I find that the best way to see things in 3-D is to keep both eyes open.
I can't deny that I am behind the times when it comes to modern communication technology. I gave up trying to keep in contact with the goose-stepping march of progress after the video recorder gave way to the DVD. This was concurrent with me having just bought my first video recorder.
We have passed into an era when we no longer need to know how a thing works in order to be able to use it. I still can't understand why the light on the ceiling comes on when I press a switch on the wall. Or is that just me? As I say, I'm a technological stegosaurus. Apples, Blackberries and Blue Rays are all things that I would order in a restaurant.
The mobile phone has gone through regenerations faster than a test tube full of randy fruit flies. Maybe after all this is the way to future App-iness. (See what I did there?)
Despite my reluctance to drive myself down the communications highway there is one thing that intrigues me about the use of mobile telephones. It is something that I have discovered following a period of shallow research carried out by me on a sample of less than a few people.
The results clearly show that the second word uttered by users of mobile phones once connection has been made is 'just'.
This can signify
a) location: as in "I'm just on the bus/in the supermarket/in the toilet
or
b) activity: as in "I'm just shampooing the dog/writing my blog/growing my hair
While this is interesting in itself, there are two further interpretations that should be considered.
The use of the word 'just' could be taken to mean dissatisfaction with one's present circumstances.
"I'd rather be on the beach in Brazil with a cold drink in one hand and a hot man/woman (delete as applicable) in the other but..... I'm just on the bus"
Or it could indicate a state of incompleteness or 'only just'.
In this case "I'm just on the bus" might indictate that the person in question has boarded that bus but that the doors have closed and they have left a leg outside. (or for hands-free sets - an arm).
I haven't personally witnessed this, and more research is obviously required.
Anyway my idea is this. Yes, there is an idea lurking - all the above has not been for nothing.
The technology must exist for the phone companies to be able to monitor the rogue useage of the word 'just'. There must be a way that they could make a small charge for each occurrence which would be added to the monthly bill to the phone user. At the end of each financial year the companies could then prepare a statement which would be submitted to the appropriate government department and the revenue raised, less a fee for administration, would go to help to reduce the national deficit.
I can't think why no-one has thought of this before. It is a foolproof system and there could be no legitimate argument against it. Who could claim that this is not a 'just' tax?
I'm just at work... (and yes, I do mean that in the sense that I'd rather be on a beach somewhere!)
ReplyDelete(Heh, I love the word verification I was asked to copy to post this comment - "odsoc", as in, what's always left after you've done a load of laundry?)