Ostomy Memories My Smart Watch

My new Smart Watch isn’t so smart. Of the various functions it is supposed to provide, the main one that interests me is the distance measurement. I want to know how far I’ve walked. Just before I head out, I turn it on and allow it to connect with the satellite. In moments, the GPS is in position and off I go. However, whichever orbiting satellite this instrument connects to, I suspect it was manufactured in Russia and is busily emitting misinformation. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if, as I round the corner off the hill, it tells me to vote for Trump. I walk the same route every morning and haven’t gotten the same distance reading yet, with a disturbing variance as great as one mile. On an approximate three-mile walk, that’s a little too much error. Early this morning while it was still dark, I was tooling down Blair Stone Road, the wet grass strip along the sidewalk sparkling in the municipal glare of the streetlights, when I checked my distance: 2.34 mi. it read. Yesterday it had announced 1.74 at the same spot. So this thing is worthless other than as a kind of goad to get me out on the road, the defective inspiration that it provides, as Churchill would have said, something up with which I will have to put.

Hello HenryM.

The dictionary definition of 'smart' includes : 'to feel or give pain'. Maybe you bought one of these watches to give you pychological grief!

Best wishes

Bill

<p><br />I'll pass that on to the manufacturer when I sent him my complaint letter... LOL</p>

Hi Henry, my wife walks every morning and she uses her Apple iPhone for measuring her distance. It counts her steps and converts them to miles. It also counts how many flights of stairs she goes up and down. Yesterday, we went for a trail ride to look at the leaves changing color, and it mapped our route. When we got home, we checked the mileage against what our machine showed, and it was spot on.

<p><br />My wife's phone has the same feature and she walked my route with me recently to see what distance it clocked.&nbsp; Thus, I can see how wacky and off my watch is.&nbsp; Thanks.</p>

Hi Henry,

Man, I hate to tell you this... but your "smart" watch has already sent in 14 mail-in ballots in your name voting for the Orange-Man! But I hear the Dems are conveniently "losing" many of those ballots and are planning on packing the Senate so they can get control of those damn satellites. And the dumb masses really thought the new Space Force was about satellite warfare... my, my, my. Oh well... there will always be Biden 2025, I guess.

;0)

Bob

Hi Henry, I don't have a smartwatch but I do have a navigation system in my car that is supposed to be smart. I have a love/hate relationship with it. I like being able to look at the little map that shows me where I'm going, what streets are coming up, and what direction I'm traveling in. When I ask it to find an address for me, it sometimes does its job nicely which fools me into thinking it will do the same the next time. The next time it invariably leads me on a wild goose chase that uses up half a tank of gas and raises my stress level through the roof, resulting in me giving up and going home without finding my destination. My husband still relies on paper maps and has nothing but disdain for my GPS, so no sympathy from that quarter. The last time it betrayed me was only a week ago, so I'm still "smarting" and will probably leave it alone for a while and depend on my own poor navigational skills. I don't think I will be any worse off.
Terry

I will be glad when the elections are over. Maybe we can get back to something other than putting people down.

<p><br />Unfortunately for the country, Trump deserves to be put down, Lovely.&nbsp; Hopefully, when the elections are over and if the nation survives Trump's cheating, his attempts to limit people from voting, his constant lying, his corruption &amp; conflicts of interests and pocket-lining off his office, his incompetence at doing nothing about the virus that is still killing a thousand Americans a day, his tax breaks for corporations and the rich, his eviseration of administrative regulations meant to protect people from the selfish greed of big business, I could go on and on, but I'm sure I've made my point, whether you are willing to accept it or not.&nbsp; While our country slides sickeningly downhill in both our domestic condition as well as our international reputation, we shouldn't just look the other way and ignore what's happening.&nbsp; So I speak out and I'm sorry if you find it offensive.&nbsp; Perhaps if you made an attempt to keep current on honest news you'd understand my fears and concerns.&nbsp; You must realize that what Trump calls "fake news" is very simply news that calls attention to his failures and his corruption.&nbsp; He is a total fraud, has been all his life, and we all need to open our eyes to it.&nbsp; I was once a Republican; that party is gone now.</p>

I agree, Henry. If you are an American, there could not be a worse time to put your head in the sand and hope it all just goes away. As a Canadian, it shocks me to see what is happening in your country. As an American, at least you have the power to cast your vote and try to make a difference. We Canadians can only stand by helplessly while knowing that the outcome will have a profound effect on us as well. I can only raise my voice (or in this case exercise my fingers) in hope that if enough of us do the same, it will help to tip the balance and get that man out. It disturbs me that so many Americans continue to trust entities like Fox News while disparaging credible mainstream media, whether it be print or TV, as purveyors of "fake news". For those who don't want to read about politics on this site, you are free to skip the posts that start going in that direction. It will all be over very soon, and now is not the time to ignore it.

Terry

Hi Henry,

Despite the current state of our country's political climate, I still believe that normal, sane people can have an honest, robust conversation about politics without it degrading into a snipefest that just insults and drives folks underground. I was once (for quite a long time) a Democrat, but that party isn't even on the same planet anymore... so things have changed on both sides. And will continue to do so forever. I'd like to engage you in a political conversation, if only to provide myself with a different perspective on the views I hold. But I'm not sure where you stand in terms of still being open-minded enough to have such a discussion... from what you wrote above, I'm thinking maybe not. But if you'd like to discuss, not argue... I think it would be beneficial to many who choose to only look at one side of the coin and are so entrenched in it they simply refuse to hear anything different from what they want to believe. If you'd rather not have a discussion, I fully understand. For folks like Lovely, I also understand why they'd rather we didn't have the discussion... I really do. But that's part of the problem. If we don't discuss (and hopefully come to understand) our differences, we'll never find common ground. And that's what politics is... finding common ground. Not each side hiding in their bunkers and throwing cheap shots at each other when the opportunity arises. When things are polarized, the smart thing to do is to find the common ground, then start there and work outward. Folk will never agree on everything, but if both sides never come to the peace table to hash things out... the war only continues and escalates. And that doesn't benefit anyone. Knowledge is power. And when you take a position or pick a side and refuse to hear anything that doesn't jive with your thoughts, you've stopped learning. Which means you're either the true world expert on the subject and have nothing left to learn on the matter... or you're an idiot. I'm neither, so I like to discuss things. But I sure can't speak for everyone.

My best friend and his wife usually come down to visit every 4th of July for a week or so, but couldn't this year due to COVID. She's a very smart gal, a counselor by profession, but proficient in multiple languages and a world traveler, and he's an engineer in the energy sector. Politics has divided them to such an extent that they can't even bring up the subject when they're together. I understand how that could happen, but from the outside looking in... it's so sad. I recently suggested they each spend an entire day separately watching (or reading) the other's favorite news source to better understand why each other feels so strongly (and differently) about the issues. He agreed and she refused. To me, that speaks volumes. She'd have probably been the LAST person I'd ever think would be that closed-minded... so nothing regarding political behavior really shocks me now. Politics has the ability to make even the smartest people idiots... I guess that makes it an equalizer of sorts...

So Henry, let me know if you want to make a new post to my memory... and then down the road when you recall it and write about it for the good folks on here, you can call it Political Ostomizing... or something else catchy like that. And of course, others can chime in or not, as they see fit. Who knows... maybe some of those world experts on political subjects might just learn a thing or two... or not.

;0)

Regards,

Bob

Isn't that exactly what Trump does? Put people down? Unfortunately, he has made it "normal" to call people horrible, demeaning names. I hate how ugly American politics has become. It has sunk to such depths of depravity, I wouldn't have thought possible. It is influencing people all over the world to behave in an utterly boorish manner, and Trump loves stirring a crowd to respond with behavior that any humane person would be ashamed of. Hitler did the same thing. I hope all of you on this site understand that Trump wouldn't cross the road to speak to any of us, unless there was something in it for him. In fact, he would make fun of us for having an ostomy, if he thought he would get a laugh from the crowd. Is that what America looks like when it is great? Disgusting.

Laurie

<p><br />I appreciate your input.&nbsp; I fully realize that, when it comes to Trump, I immediately go off the deep end.&nbsp; Perhaps after the current mess winds down and the country returns to some sense of normality (hopefully that will happen), we can look back with a wry smile.&nbsp; My spouse upbraids me for ranting about it, and she's got a point.</p>

Hello People!
Thank you all for joining in this conversation on politics and, of course, you all make some valid points. My own perspective on politics is slightly different, in that I rarely get involved with the policies being pursued by any one party, as most of them are motivated by self-interest rather than the needs of the people they are meant to ‘serve’. However, the field of politics does provide me with a wealth of material and motivation for rhyming verse. The main reason for this is my long-standing interest in ‘bullying’. History has shown us that politics is like a magnet to those who aspire to be bullies to wield and abuse power over others. To me, this seems to be in a similar way to paedophiles being attracted to professions where children are easily accessed, influenced, and abused (a subject upon which I have also written extensively).
The UK system of politics, especially in the House of Commons, highlights how ‘bullies’ practice their verbal art in ways akin to children trying to bully each other in a school playground. I have little against this arena for them to bully each other. However, politics seems to me to be a ‘training-ground’ for bullying, where there are at least some rules of engagement and the people who are harmed are those who agree to participate.
Unfortunately, some politicians believe this way of behaving is applicable outside of their chosen profession and choose to impose their bullying on people who have no desire to be bullied. These political ‘outsiders’ then become ‘victims’ of bullying and surely deserve protection in much the same way that innocent children deserve protection from paedophiles.
I leave you with a rhyme which was motivated by politicians but is equally applicable to other types of bully:
Best wishes
Bill

ZEALOT BULLIES.

Though some bullies are bombastic
most appear enthusiastic.
And whilst they’re not affectionate
one might say they are passionate.

They’re eager to show off their skill
to do some harm, to maim or kill.
Most ordinary folk ask why
it seems to put them on a high.

Humans have shown in the past
they’re keen for bullying to last
and whether they use fist or sword
they seem to sense there’s a reward.

Indeed in our society
there’s no need for sobriety.
Bullies hold a high esteem
in their bullying regime.

Bullies climb right to the top
and there their bullying won’t stop.
They’re keen to show how it is done
so try to bully everyone.

Top bullies form a small elite
where they can lie and steal and cheat
and formulate the laws in time
to make sure what they do’s no crime.

I meet bullies who are zealots
treating victims as their helots. (surfs)
Like the lowest servile slave,
a subservient, menial knave.

Not much has changed over the years
the bully rules, the slave adheres.
No wonder bullies are zealots
so keen to keep what they have got.

                                    B. WITHERS 2015

                       (in A Prelude to Bullying p.332, 2016)