I hope I don`t start collecting model M'S cos...

[roaduck]

I suppose I'm a teeny, weeny bit obsessive compulsive as my little 3-bed terrace is full of electrical ****.

Other techies and Geeks are amazed that I don't get radiation from all the stuff.My electricity bills are comparable to a small business because a lot of my stuff is heavy with over-spec power supplies.I've got so much junk ; I've had to give a lot  of it away.

Because I've been mucking about with electrics since 1972 and learnt a lot by trial and error people come to me for advice on buying hi-fi and want me to fix their pcs for a song.

Obviously I am not a professional 'puter man like the majority of people on this site but I'm constantly learning.

I was pleasantly suprised that I can do stuff that the techies in my local pc shop said was impossible and I ended up mending their customer's machines on the odd occassion.

Eventually ,one day I will probably go back to listening to shortwave radio, reading my books and writing letters by hand because the constant consumer  treadmill of forced upgrade, new formats and things becoming obsolescent is really doing my head in.

Years ago I had no tv in my living room and it was great for conversation.Playing cards, Scrabble and having a jam on acoustic guitars was brilliant.I can't remember the last time I played charades or hangman on a bit of paper.Before I had so much electrical gear, I was much more creative and happier.
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[skriefal]

Eventually ,one day I will probably go back to listening to shortwave radio, reading my books and writing letters by hand because the constant consumer  treadmill of forced upgrade, new formats and things becoming obsolescent is really doing my head in.

The shortwave radio bit may be a bit difficult now, due to all of the interference from electronic gadgets in your home and your neighbors' homes.  But improving ones handwriting is a good goal.  Watch out for the urge to expand your interests into specialty fountain pens and such :smile:.

[roaduck]

Haha skriefal I hope I bloody don`t start collecting other stuff like pens.Can you understand my desire to "unplug" a bit though and live more simply?At school I was a fairly neat handwriter - my teacher could even read it - like the girl's only joined-up and bigger.

I have an external longwire with ferrite rings and balun (which acts as a washing line in my garden) strung between two trees.I have an old Sangean ATS-803A portable and a Datong signal amplifier which is good for minimising RFI and spurious interference on the AM band.It is still amazing what one can hear on SW and Worldband - stuff simply not heard on other broadcasting media.Unfortunately I've not listened to shortwave or cassettes and records for ages although I have a DAB radio (convenient) next to my pillow every night tuned to BBC World Service.

[skriefal]

I haven't yet felt a need to unplug.  If anything, I'm "plugging in" even further than I have before.  But the urge to unplug will probably occur eventually.

I try to retain good handwriting too, but doing so is becoming more difficult with each year.  Mostly I write small notes to myself -- where legibility is less of a concern, because I can read even the sloppiest of my own writing.  Most kids today would have a hard time managing even simple handwritten notes; at least my handwriting hasn't degraded that far.

[itlnstln]

I just have so little need to write anymore.  I might take a few notes here and there in meetings, but if it's going to be something major, I take my laptop.  I keep a little bit of scratch paper when I am doing some data analysis to write down the occasional product code, retail, etc. at work.  Even for trips to the store, I use the notes function of my cell phone.  That said, I have "unplugged" at home quite a bit.  I rarely use my home computer anymore.  I would rather spend my time doing other things these days.