Friday, January 21, 2005

I'M OLD!

Sorry to keep shoving National Review articles at you this morning, but this column from Jonah Goldberg is just too good to pass up. He's suffering angst, because...he's...getting...old:
But one of the things I do find pretty interesting is how technology changes vocabulary — and by extension the way we view the world. We don't appreciate how many of our phrases are driven by outdated technology. I was always taught that "Mind your Ps and Qs" was an old admonition for printers, though apparently that's open for debate. We refer to "civil" engineering because until fairly recently all engineering was military. A hot shot was something you fired from a cannon. And for my entire life — and probably yours — I've said "dial" a phone number even though kids today don't necessarily know why. The phrase from old TV shows "don't touch that dial!" would sound like an admonition not to touch a brand of soap. Also, if they were watching an old episode of Outer Limits they'd have no clue why the aliens were talking about controlling the "vertical" and "horizontal" on the TV. They also might furl their foreheads when told they sound like a broken record.
Jonah-dude, I have sneakers your age! Sometimes I'm afraid to leave the house for days at a time...but your column was far out!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

You're not old yet. Let me tell you what old is ........hell, I forget what I was going to say...Oh, now I remember; why are you writing this stuff when you should be working on the book proposal?

Die Alt Herre

Jerry The Geek said...

"Jonah-dude, I have sneakers your age!"

Yeah, well, but ...
"The Train Robbers" ... John Wayne and Ann-Margeret:
"I've got a saddle that's older than you."


http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/6304457286/qid=1106460585/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/002-5558229-9613640?v=glance&s=video

Consider the alternatives to aging, and
(1) ignore them, knowing the 'kids' will eventually fall to the same influences, or;
(2) fall back on your experience, and smoke 'em if you've got 'em. In other words, treat them with the disdain which they so richly deserve. The freakin' kids ... < mutter mutter mutter >

It's bad enough that, in IPSC competion, I'm being shown up (beaten) by 11-year-old shooters (I can still beat the 10-year-olds ... usually), but now I have to deal with the "angst" of 30-something Neocons? Give me a BREAK, somebody!

I'll show you "Angst". Well, no, I probably won't. You don't need to know about my so-called sexlife.

It's enough that you're referencing Johah (whom I love like a brother, and with whom I agree 95% of the time) but now I have to deal with his perception of "the kid-whose-head-someone-used-as-a-toilet-but-forgot-to-flush."

I can't do this.
Speaking from my lofty 60-year-old pedastal, I can't connect with Jonah's personal problem.

If you absolutely must refer to aging "angst", at least talk to me about Derbyshire or Dunphry, Ludeen or Lopes (Sorry, Katherine J), or Nordlinger (be still my Impromptus Heart!)

I can find no soulful sorrow for the Jonah, while there exists a NeoCon with the experience to understand the meaning of the word 'ageing'.