Do you remember having to warm up your old TV set?
Years ago, watching TV was easy: turn on the TV, tune the knob to BBC or ITV, wait a while till it warmed up and watch it… simples!
Nowadays, some of us don’t know how to switch TVs on without the help of a six-year-old… literally!
About 7 years ago, I was in the sitting room at my daughter’s house, talking with my 6-year-old granddaughter Jane; my daughter, who was busy preparing food in the kitchen, popped her head into the sitting room door, pointed to the TV screen on the wall, and told me that the children’s channel was about to start, and politely asked if I’d switch it on for Jane; she then disappeared back into the kitchen.
I hadn’t owned a TV for years, and really had no idea how to switch on one of these modern things… but, it must be easy, right?
Well, I found a remote, and Jane, told me, “No, Granda, that’s not it.” I picked up another one, and again, Jane told me, “No, Granda, that’s not it, either.”
There were three remotes in total, and I thought, ‘Okay, by the process of elimination, this third remote must be the one to switch on the TV.’
Jane explained to me how to put the programmes on, “Granda, take the third remote, press the auxiliary button and the audio will go on, on the hi-fi… then, roll up your sleeves, stand on one leg, press the ‘secret’ button, point the remote at the TV, and it will go on, easily; then, take the first remote and type in the 35-digit code that came with the TV - if you don’t know this, Granda, don’t worry - just type in the equation to Einstein’s general theory of relativity, or see page 4020 of Stephen Hawking’s aptly-named 107th book, on ‘Space a Continuum for six-Year-Olds… well, that’s what it sounded like she was saying, as I had slipped into a stupor!’”
I felt numb and confused, and when I came out of my stupor, I said to Jane, “Maybe it’s just me, but why so many remotes? And why so complicated? One would think that ‘advanced technology’ such as this would be much easier to use than the old technology - a case of Vorsprung Durch Technik (Forsprung Dork Technik) - progress through technology… indeed!”
Jane replied, “I know, Granda… it’s an obvious misnomer, isn’t it?” an unsuitable name incorrectly applied.
Ha! ha! Well, she didn’t actually say that, but she may as well have! as what she did say on how to switch on the TV was way beyond me!
In defeat, I handed the remotes to Jane - yes, my 6-year-old granddaughter - and, after a quick series of precisely-made clicks, we were sitting, happily watching children’s TV together… and that, ladies and gentlemen, is absolutely true.
Негізгі бет Video 42 - Remember waiting for the TV to warm up?
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