Smartphones - Friend or Foe?

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Today I thought I would talk about smartphones. I think that the smartphone is also some what of a totem or avatar for something that one might call the invasion of technology into our lives.

I say invasion but it could also be viewed as an augmentation of our lives. I think that whether something is benign and benevolent or on the other hand some sort of invasive species that must be curbed is an interesting question.

It seems that smartphones and all the relevant technology around them (wireless internet, cameras, etc) have the potential to provide us with real-life benefits as well as the potential for real-life negatives (like ignoring those around you).

If you spend

Sorry. I was just interrupted by my smartphone letting me know that someone had made an offer on one of my eBay auctions.

Cassette Tapes Were Serious Business

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The following is a small excerpt from an unpublished memoir that I am currently writing. All text ©2016 Jim Younkin. Keep an eye out for the book sometime in the future.



Do you know what a pencil and a cassette tape have in common? Do you know what a cassette tape even is? Your answers the preceding questions will largely depend on when you were born.



I was born in 1977. The following is a reminder of the struggle all of us who grew up in the 80s had to go through to have our music.



I remember first starting my relationship with music when I was about 7 or 8 years old. I had a small radio cassette tape player and I remember listening to the radio at night and recording songs off the radio onto cassette tapes.