[neothespian]

But, in 53 years who'd think that I would be:

-Running a "virtual" community of shooters from a device smaller than a deck of cards that also enables me to watch TV, read books, talk to family all over the globe and send pictures, video and music all over the place

-Driving a Taxicab that gets nearly 60 miles to the gallon

-Irritated that people actually use "cash" to pay for services

-Walking around on an kneecap made of synthetic materials just fine after being hit on a motorcycle by a Suburban at 70mph (with injuries that would've killed me 53 years ag)

-Getting upset that it takes more than 30 seconds for my bank/doctor/boss/family to reply to a message I sent them from 8,000 miles away

-If my taxi or my motorcycle were stolen, I could have it found by it's LoJack transponder in less than 2 hours?

-That I could survive being shot at point blank range and suffer very little to no damage just because of a few milimeters of material?

Yes, the "good ole days" may be gone, but compared to what we have...I think we're doing ok

 

[neothespian]

Oh heck yeah, medicine too has improved as I'm sure everybody's well aware. The things they can bring people back from these days. I mean heck.. you can even be revived from clinical DEATH... as Neo *also* knows.. 0_0

Very true....

My Grandfather on my Dad's side was declared clinically dead after 65 seconds of no "vital response" (What they used to call it after you stopped breathing. It seemed that they thought once you stopped breathing you were "dead" dead). Something about no oxygen to the brain.

Fast forward a few decades...

I was "dead" for 2:58 seconds, defibed twice...and I'm still kicking! Of course, that was lack of breathing which HARDLY means dead these days. And, this, as was mentioned before, all done in the air before we landed at The hospital (The nearest one by land wasn't a full trauma centre at that time, and the next nearest one was under constrution, so I had to be flown from the Tempe/Mesa border to Central Phoenix).

As for the space program, I think we should be doing FAR more investment in it!! There is NO reason why we shouldn't be on Mars RIGHT NOW mining and manufacturing at this moment! The Russians are STILL decades ahead in spaceflight technology and they're still committed. We should be as well. Humanity can only gain from moving beyond. If we did, you think the advancements in 53 years are impressive?

 

[neothespian]

Motel 6 in Tempe, AZ averages about 60 a night.

But, some of those other inflationary stats are interesting. If ONLY it cost $268.10 to stay in the hospital for one night!! And, $2.22 a gallon is LESS than I pay for the hi-octane stuff my bike requires ($2.28 as of today at a station in South Scottsdale)

 

[neothespian]

Motel 6 started at $6.00 a night
Motel 8 Started at $8.00 a night. OK, what happened to that?

The government inflated the dollar in order to indirectly steal wealth. Businesses raised prices in order to keep up with inflated costs so they could stay in business. Motel 6 and Motel 8 didn't change their names...

Get ready for another round of run-away inflation to help make the budget look less off-balance!

Let's try to keep this civil.... don't want to bounce this one over to the Dark Rooms