Reasons to be cheerful!

[Claireliontamer]

Heh! Got another one!

Medical technician made  a comment about "Nice to see older people using technology" as I entered a future appointment into my smartphone.

Looking him in the the eye I asked, "Were you arround in 1980?"

"No, I was minus . . . 9 then."

"Ah, well, that was the year I bought my first personal computer."

He looked a little impressed, and a little sheepish.

Just checked, the £70 I paid for it then would now be worth about £210. But then it was a big decision to spend that much in one lump; now, even on a pension, I spend £200+ on a tablet with hardly a blink! But now I have no rent nor mortgage to pay, no ten mile daily drive to and from work, . . .

1988 for me. Think it was half a gig, had a dark green screen with bright green text, couldn't show pictures and wasn't WYSIWYG. Oh, just remembered my son had a Commodore 64 and we had to put the code in ourselves before we could play the games. My nephew had a BBC computer and it had an all-text game called The Kingdom of Hammil that was so addictive we were up until 2 and 3 in the morning trying to complete all the tasks. It's the only computer game I've ever played.

Only game I have played (apart from "Spider") was "The Hobbit" on a Spectrum 48. I had a "map" of the territory on my bedroom wall and could get most if the way through on sheer memory in the end. But, if you made a fatal mistake you were given a cryptic clue to belp you next time - this would dwell on screen for ten seconds. Then I hit a problem where they forgot to add the nought to the dwell time... I went over and over that point (took me twenty minutes to get there even with every previous move built into "muscle memory" ) but never managed to read the whole clue.

Beaten by a program bug!

Oh,  jydt remembered, tried "Myst" as well, prefer analytical games to shoot em ups or reaction games.

[xSilverPhinx]

The first computer game I played was Mario Teaches Typing, when I was around 9 or 10.

Not very fun, but the computer and keyboard were fascinating.

[Arturo]

My first game I ever played. A couple of the songs remind me of my mother. I assume because when I played this, I was probably about 3 and my Mom was already gone from my life. My uncle let me play it on his (or my sister's) sega.

[Biggus Dickus]

[Dave]

Ironing a shirt, sudden memory of a female friend saying she liked that shirt. Then it dawned on me that was in 1986, that shirt is 31 years old. She was a close, very close friend...

Then I remembered something else. Up in the attic is my "seasonal" clothes store, not enough room down here for all my jackets and suits. Amongst the winter-wear is a mountaineering jacket; orange ripstop nylon shell, double layered, staggered box quilted and stuffed with de-quilled goose down. Bit grubby now, a veteran of blizzards in the Welsh Black Mountains, Arctic blasts in the Cairngorms and three feet of snow in the Peak District and other similar joyful memories... (Yes, I do remember the specification, such things are important in survival gear!)

I bought that jacket soon after I returned from my RAF posting to Bahrein, in 1969. That jacket is 48 years old and still toastie warm!

[Harmonie]

The first computer game I played was Mario Teaches Typing, when I was around 9 or 10.

Not very fun, but the computer and keyboard were fascinating.

Oh my god, the "music" in that really hurts my ears. lol.

Anyway, I too remember that game, and I remember how it was ineffective in teaching me typing. In the end, I found the most effective tool in teaching me typing was me getting addicted to the internet and posting on internet forums.

I mean, people are shocked at how fast I type, and I have only long-time internet/forum addiction to explain that. 

[xSilverPhinx]

Oh my god, the "music" in that really hurts my ears. lol.

It's obnoxious.  I should get it as my ringtone! Heh.

Anyway, I too remember that game, and I remember how it was ineffective in teaching me typing. In the end, I found the most effective tool in teaching me typing was me getting addicted to the internet and posting on internet forums.

I mean, people are shocked at how fast I type, and I have only long-time internet/forum addiction to explain that. 

Well...since you're a musician could be that you have really good control of your finer muscle movements, which could explain faster typing as well. Do you play the piano too?

[Harmonie]

Well...since you're a musician could be that you have really good control of your finer muscle movements, which could explain faster typing as well. Do you play the piano too?

I don't know, I have never been the most talented musician. Back when I started getting really good at typing I was a trumpet player, thus only really used three/four fingers.

I'm in a piano class, but would not call myself a piano player. I feel like I'll be lucky to make it past this year. I see people who are not able to pass. I'm scared. Really wish I had been able to transfer straight out of community college, where I had already taken the piano classes and could have maybe gotten through some proficiency tests. Maybe not, standards are much higher here.

[xSilverPhinx]

Well...since you're a musician could be that you have really good control of your finer muscle movements, which could explain faster typing as well. Do you play the piano too?

I don't know, I have never been the most talented musician. Back when I started getting really good at typing I was a trumpet player, thus only really used three/four fingers.

I'm in a piano class, but would not call myself a piano player. I feel like I'll be lucky to make it past this year. I see people who are not able to pass. I'm scared. Really wish I had been able to transfer straight out of community college, where I had already taken the piano classes and could have maybe gotten through some proficiency tests. Maybe not, standards are much higher here.

You'll do fine

Just think of it as musical typing.

[Dave]

I leant forward, whilst sitting on my couch, to pick up a book from the floor pile.

Suddenly there was this long, loud whistling, hissing noise.

ERK! 

The bung had come out of my inflatable ring cushion! 

Sorry but you are not allowed to view spoiler contents.

[xSilverPhinx]

LOL Gloucester.

[xSilverPhinx]

I just got off the phone with my advisor, who was discussing my Master's project with me. There's a good chance I'll be working in a hospital memory lab with human subjects! 

I have a lot to catch up on though. It involves EEG and skin conductance tests, nonsense words, memory interference lists (they give the subjects a list to memorise and later add association words during the test session to see if subjects remember words that were not on the original list), possibly fMRI scans, etc...

I'm psyched!

[Magdalena]

^^^

I'm so happy for you, xSilverPhinx.

[xSilverPhinx]

^^^

I'm so happy for you, xSilverPhinx.

Thanks Mags.

[OldGit]

Well done, Fernanda, and congratulations!