I don't own a smart phone. I still carry around my key pad phone. The phone perhaps shows my age but it fits neatly in my pocket and it serves my purpose for making and receiving phone calls, text when I want to and it is the maximum extent to which I use my phone. I don't tweet,blog or facebook with a phone and when I meet people I actually want to talk to them and not keep looking down on my phone.
I know a few people who just can't be without looking at their phones. This topic of people who prefer to have a conversation virtually rather than converse with people they meet face to face has been beat to death. Sadly nobody seems to be getting the hint. Most people I assume do not realize that they are insulting the person standing in front of them.
The other day in fast moving traffic I am stuck behind this guy who is breaking without reason and straying into the neighboring lanes and also driving well below the speed limit, perfect conditions for road rage when one is trying to get to work or get home. Of course I can change lanes and keep going which is what I did but should he be using that smart phone while he is operating a vehicle?
I don't deny that these smart phones are useful and serve a purpose. I also have seen these things being a big distraction at work and that is a shame. One manager had a rule "phones cannot ring and nobody can answer or look at them" during the meeting. On the other hand I have been in meetings where a few of them had no idea what went on in the meeting because they were busy checking their phones. It is sad that these people do not realize that being distracted means the others have to fill them in and everybody else being in the room lot longer than they want to and the job wasn't getting done.
Why did I bring all this up? I got my cell phone almost a decade ago out of fear. It was during the time 10 years ago when the snipers were terrorizing the area. Just a year before America as we had known had come to an end. Even simple things like going to the grocery store or pumping gas had become dangerous activities. DH was on a traveling job and it was just DD and me. I had to instruct her on how to use the phone if she had to.
Cell phones had just started getting to be a necessity rather than luxury and they had become from brick sized to fairly decent size that they can fit in a pocket.Like life the cell phone evolution has come a full cycle, phones are going back to being bricks what with them being capable of doing more and more functions. If you are smart don't let the phone get in the way of personal interactions. Life is too short to be communicating with an electronic device rather than to the people around you.
Can you share something with me? If you do own a smart phone have you done something that has got you in trouble?
One more, are Mushrooms Vegan?
Fresh mushrooms are a delight and I have a sort of love hate relationship with them meaning sometimes I am eager to cook with them while other times I can't stand the sight of them. Anyway I was going through one of the hate phases which came to an end when I brought home a bag of crimini mushrooms with this
mushroom biryani in mind. After seeing
this recipe on Edible Garden, I decided to make some pepper mushroom instead.
Ingredients
- 3 Cups of sliced crimini mushroom
- 1 cup of slice red onions
- 4 green chilies chopped
- 2 tsp of black pepper
- 1/2 tbsp of tomato ketchup or tomato paste
- salt to taste
- 2 tsp of oil
- Lemon juice (optional)
Method
- Take a skillet, heat a bit of oil and add the sliced mushrooms and let them cook in high heat with salt added till all the moisture evaporates. Set aside.
- To the same skillet add the rest of the oil and when hot add the green chilies and onions and saute till the onions start to turn brown
- Now add the pepper powder and give a good mix. Add in the tomato sauce, mix it into the onions and let it cook for about 3-4 minutes.
- Now add in the mushroom mix it into the spices and let cook for another 3-4 minutes.Check for salt and add if needed.
- Finsh with a squeeze of lemon juice.
Serve with steamed rice.
Indo- you and I are the only two people in North America without a smart phone LOL!
ReplyDeleteAs for whether mushrooms are vegan: well, if vegan food is defined as that which is not from the animal kingdom (as classification in biology goes), then yes, mushrooms are vegan because they belong to a different kingdom- fungi.
LOL! I am so glad I have good company Nupur :)
DeleteHey Indo.. Yes, I do own a smart phone. I can't think of anything I did with it that got me into trouble.. maybe fat-finger style mis-typing or pressing send for emails/comments before they are actually fully typed. ;)
ReplyDeleteI think smart phones can be super useful, and they are not going to go away. But as they say.. with great power comes great responsibility. Social/cultural change inculcating a sense of responsibility cannot be as fast as the technological change. People will learn.
The mushroom dish looks delicious!
Indo, I just got my first really smart phone two weeks ago. (The earlier one was a basic one and Internet-enabled but not very smart.) I am still discovering how to use it.
ReplyDeleteI can honestly say that I keep in real-life touch with my friends even after getting on to devices and networks. All the more so because it's easier to keep in touch through a social network and not do the real thing. I don't think I've gotten into trouble with phones. I condemn its use while driving.
Actually, I'm more distracted by the Internet on a regular computer than on a mobile phone.
Indo, I just got my first really smart phone two weeks ago. (The earlier one was a basic one and Internet-enabled but not very smart.) I am still discovering how to use it.
ReplyDeleteI can honestly say that I keep in real-life touch with my friends even after getting on to devices and networks. All the more so because it's easier to keep in touch through a social network and not do the real thing. I don't think I've gotten into trouble with phones. I condemn its use while driving.
Actually, I'm more distracted by the Internet on a regular computer than on a mobile phone.
You spoke my heart out! I thought I am the only one getting angry over idiots carrying so called smart phones. Thanks for having the courage to say it loud that it is really frustrating to talk to someone who is busy looking at his/her smart phone, its really rude and people don't even realise what's the big deal. I don't want a smart phone ever! I am smart enough. ;)
ReplyDeleteSeriously, there are very few people who really 'need' their phones to be 'smart' most get it just to show off. Their main use is to check FB 100 times. Makes me feel if they disconnect us from our present, our surroundings...our reality and the people around us who really matter. I am not catching this fever, I can really do without it.
Priti
Priti I hear you. I read somewhere that studies show people who use FB a lot are more depressed than people who don't.
DeleteAll the more reason to be smart.
Hi Indo!
ReplyDeleteI don't have a smart phone either and it's not a problem for me. I use my old beaten up phone for making and receiving phone calls.
As for the internet I can surf it on my computer.
Indo,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about smartphones.People do not realize how insulting it is when they keep checking the phone constantly but instead of getting angry I actually feel sorry for them...some insecurity i guess.
Worst is recently this youngish guy in my office mentioned he has a digital version of a movie and he keeps watching it which he drives...that truly is OUTRAGEOUS.
I could go on and on...smartphone still doesnt work like the old phones when I could just feel the number and dial without actually having to look or being nervous of dialing some other number...the soft touch in Smartphone still gives me the heebie jeebies. But I did finally buy a smartphone... sometimes the ability to check an email is invaluable or be able to find an address on a map or to be able to explore a completely new place and still not getting lost in the end.
thanks for bringing out the topic.