Do you take the time to call?

[I_Like_Turtles]

Rare treat last night! A best friend from my high school days called and we talked about 3 hours. He's career Army, 22 years, Bosnia, Iraq, and Afghanistan veteran, master sergeant. We had some great times in high school! Getting into trouble, hanging out, our last "party" before he shipped out for basic......

Just great to actually TALK. See I hate texting. When he came to visit in 2014 I took him white water rafting and tipped the guide extra to "make sure we both go out of that boat." I used to bar tend at that resort and I've been on some two dozen boat trips....the one with my old friend was the most fun of them all. I had never had such "team spirit" on a boat trip.

We've agreed to get together at a ski resort whenever we can and do some skiing (I'm a ski instructor) but mostly we are going to drink! In fact my friend stated "drinking is the most important part."

I am still excited about that call! Just a great time.

So, does anyone here make time to actually talk?

[340pd]

Rare treat last night! A best friend from my high school days called and we talked about 3 hours. He's career Army, 22 years, Bosnia, Iraq, and Afghanistan veteran, master sergeant. We had some great times in high school! Getting into trouble, hanging out, our last "party" before he shipped out for basic......

Just great to actually TALK. See I hate texting. When he came to visit in 2014 I took him white water rafting and tipped the guide extra to "make sure we both go out of that boat." I used to bar tend at that resort and I've been on some two dozen boat trips....the one with my old friend was the most fun of them all. I had never had such "team spirit" on a boat trip.

We've agreed to get together at a ski resort whenever we can and do some skiing (I'm a ski instructor) but mostly we are going to drink! In fact my friend stated "drinking is the most important part."

I am still excited about that call! Just a great time.

So, does anyone here make time to actually talk?

Just curious, are you still in lockdown? Over the last month I have found most people are pretty much ignoring any mandates set down by governors based on the numbers that have come out over the Chinese virus proving all the models and predictions have been totally inaccurate. Nice to see kids playing together in parks and neighbors shoulder to shoulder rioting and looting.

[I_Like_Turtles]

Just curious, are you still in lockdown? Over the last month I have found most people are pretty much ignoring any mandates set down by governors based on the numbers that have come out over the Chinese virus proving all the models and predictions have been totally inaccurate. Nice to see kids playing together in parks and neighbors shoulder to shoulder rioting and looting.

I don't think WV ever fully "shutdown" as we have better leadership here. Parks stayed open for instance, no "stay inside order." I think people would have gone into militia mode if such an order was given.

Friend that called lives in TX I believe. They didn't fully shutdown either.

Could not sleep last night and went for long drive. Toured nearby city. All motels pretty close to packed based on parking lots being so full.

[skiflydive]

I signed off the MOST TOXIC place on the planet last week. Facebook. I've seen good friends unendingly bitching at each other. They wouldn't normally but FB facilitates that and seems to encourage it in spite of their "mission" to unite the world. It's BS. Now I have more time to walk, bike, read, and go to my local range. I've been calling 2-3 friends every day to chat and laugh. It was the right decision for me.

[berettabone]

Biggest virus on the net..........................................for people with no life, and a need to tell everyone about every waking moment in their pitiful lives.

[I_Like_Turtles]

Very glad to read that sky and beretta!

Social media isn't really "social." Studies show (but you don't need a study to see it) that such mediums increase each person's natural narcissism. I believe what happens is people, especially insecure people, view social media as a sort of advertising company where their pictures and even posts are billboards. What that person wants is agreement and praise. If nothing else, they want others to see the billboard and that's enough. Anyone that disagrees with the billboard's message they see as a vandal that is spray painting graffiti on the billboard!

Myself, I want debate, I thrive on it. Only through vigorous debate can I get better......either I will get better at explaining my reasoning which will make my position stronger while sharpening my mental skills or I will be forced to admit I am wrong and change. Either way, I get better as a rational and honest person. Most people however, are too insecure for that. Most people, do not have a solid philosophy to their lives.....they decide positions largely on whims and emotions. There is no standard they make decisions by. These people are terrified of a debate as they have no evidence to cite. Many people simply operate on whim and whim alone.

Social media, combined with the smartphone, do enormous damage to the mind. They are addictive, increase ADD, decrease one's value for others (just "delete" them and get a new "friend"), users are more depressed, more lonely, suicides naturally increase. One is more likely (and has been for years) to be killed by a texting driver than by a drunk driver. The ease of "deleting people" causes the insecure user to wall themselves off into an echo chamber further isolating them and stunting their emotional growth.

Further and even more ominously, the large social media companies are extremely biased against conservatives....it was for that reason I left Facebook in 2017 and never looked back. I do not see a discussion forum or message board as "social media."

Finally, most human communication is body language (you retired police officers know this). Next most important is voice tone......we at least need voice tone to communicate well.

Anyone else like to hear the voices of your friends?

[yqtszhj]

I signed off the MOST TOXIC place on the planet last week. Facebook.....

Thats the truth. I never had Facebook.

And I hate text messages. If the text has more than 2 periods or it takes more than 2 messages to get the point across, it’s too long. make a phone call for crying out loud.

[Armybrat]

My friends are all dead, so no need to make any extra-long distance calls. ;)

[GROTMAN]

ARMYBRAT...GLAD I'M NOT ONE OF YOUR FRIENDS...JUST SAYIN! :behindsofa:

[Bawanna]

My friends are all dead, so no need to make any extra-long distance calls. ;)

Dude! I'm still this side of the sod, I thought we was bud's?

[jeepster09]

[QUOTE=I_Like_Turtles;416691]I don't think WV ever fully "shutdown" as we have better leadership here.

Things are looking up......:cheer2:

[yqtszhj]

I needed something to make me laugh this morning.

[I_Like_Turtles]

Depends on the politics.....given the support though, probably Marxist.

[Bawanna]

Thats the truth. I never had Facebook.

And I hate text messages. If the text has more than 2 periods or it takes more than 2 messages to get the point across, it’s too long. make a phone call for crying out loud.

I agree with the text messages, I really hate group text where they are talking about stuff I could care less about, and I'm trying to do something with the phone going off every two minutes.
But I can't hear on a telephone so text and email and even Facebook is a wonderful convenience. I am finding that we're still not in a text and email world. I try to do business with my local gun shops and don't get responses, or they forget to contact me. Try not to have my wife call more than I have to but so many times it's the only solution.

[Bawanna]

[QUOTE=I_Like_Turtles;416691]I don't think WV ever fully "shutdown" as we have better leadership here.

Things are looking up......:cheer2:

And this ladies and gentlemen is the root of the problem. Abnormal freakism over a long enough period becomes the new normal.
Woman in government, driving cars and smoking cigarettes is where the downfall all started.
Guys turned into girls and vice versa just compounds the issue.

Don't even need to go into foreigners in public office.

[Armybrat]

Dude! I'm still this side of the sod, I thought we was bud's?

Was just talkin’ about my high school & college buddies. One may still be alive, but I don’t think the Texas Department of Corrections lets him have phone privileges.

[I_Like_Turtles]

People are just drawing further and further apart via texting and social media. Talking is esssential.

[yqtszhj]

[QUOTE=jeepster09;416761]

And this ladies and gentlemen is the root of the problem. Abnormal freakism over a long enough period becomes the new normal.
Woman in government, driving cars and smoking cigarettes is where the downfall all started.
Guys turned into girls and vice versa just compounds the issue.

Don't even need to go into foreigners in public office.

Hey, you must be my long lost brother..... of course if you found you were related to my family it might be a step or two down the ladder of proper society for you since I’m finding I fit less into “proper” society every day but good for me I don’t really care.

[FreeMe]

Texting is a good tool for selling or buying. When I'm selling, I require text because I never answer calls from unknown numbers. It's also good for quick checks or "ya got a minute?" But visiting requires talk. Never could understand why kids choose to have a silent conversation in slow motion. We have a whole generation that doesn't know how to communicate.

[I_Like_Turtles]

Texting is a good tool for selling or buying. When I'm selling, I require text because I never answer calls from unknown numbers. It's also good for quick checks or "ya got a minute?" But visiting requires talk. Never could understand why kids choose to have a silent conversation in slow motion. We have a whole generation that doesn't know how to communicate.

I once had a person call me on a "private" number. I nearly didn't answer but she turned out to be an excellent renter. I just cannot (and will not) operate my business via text. I'm just like Andrews Custom Leather in that regard and always enjoy talking with him as he takes my order. If I didn't answer all calls, I'd go out of business.

[FreeMe]

I once had a person call me on a "private" number. I nearly didn't answer but she turned out to be an excellent renter. I just cannot (and will not) operate my business via text. I'm just like Andrews Custom Leather in that regard and always enjoy talking with him as he takes my order. If I didn't answer all calls, I'd go out of business.

I don't run a business, so I don't have to worry about that (expect I'd have a separate business phone anyway). I've talked to a lot of people about this, and have seen almost universal agreement about not answering unknown numbers. My system makes life simpler, and it goes like this.....

Unknown number calls. If it's important, they leave a message. Then I call back. Immediately after the exchange, I give the number a name and add it to the contact list. If it wasn't important enough to leave a message, I dismiss it and never give it another thought. A lot of people use this same system with their personal phones.

When I advertise to the public, I specify text for first contact, but if someone calls and leaves a message, that works too.

Guess how many times I answer spam or scam calls.....Never.
How many times do I miss an important call? I don't know of any, and frankly, I don't care.

I give others the same courtesy. If I call and no one answers, I leave a message. If it's not a business and it's someone I've never called before (such as answering a CL ad), I text. If I don't get a reply to either, I move on.

Technology is great if you don't let it own you.

[I_Like_Turtles]

Well you haven't been in the vacation rental business. :p When you don't answer that phone, they just call the next listing and you don't make a booking. Not many people leave messages these days.

Personally, I enjoy when I get a live scammer....see I have an alter ego named "Lee Loo," a recent immigrant from China. His English is limited, he has a hard time understanding people, especially those with an Indian accent. Sometimes callers from India get made at Lee Loo, which is sad because Lee Loo really cares about what they have to say. Usually, the caller gets angry and hangs up on Lee Loo.....very bad manners! Lee Loo sad. Sad Lee Loo. :cool:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_ll_qnBNTY

[FreeMe]

Well you haven't been in the vacation rental business. :p

Nor would I want to be. :D


Personally, I enjoy when I get a live scammer....see I have an alter ego named "Lee Loo," a recent immigrant from China. His English is limited, he has a hard time understanding people, especially those with an Indian accent. Sometimes callers from India get made at Lee Loo, which is sad because Lee Loo really cares about what they have to say. Usually, the caller gets angry and hangs up on Lee Loo.....very bad manners! Lee Loo sad. Sad Lee Loo. :cool:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_ll_qnBNTY

Looks like a fun hobby.

[I_Like_Turtles]

Rentals are actually very fun....short term rentals with the right kind of renters.

The longer we keep a scammer on the phone, the less time he has to scam others.

[Armybrat]

We owned an inherited duplex years ago, and it turned out to be such a PITA that I sold it ASAP.

[I_Like_Turtles]

Good friend called me today, number I had never seen before. So what if that had been another scam caller? I'd have hung up or strung the guy along as long as I could.

Great chat we had.

[skiflydive]

I call someone about every day. Today it was a friend who was a customer of mine starting back in 1980. We talk every year or so but it had been a couple. You'd never know we don't talk every day! Talked for half an hour. Fun!

[I_Like_Turtles]

Got a call from "Microsoft" today and decided to have some fun. Lee Lu, one of my alter egos, answered the phone. It was hard to keep from laughing as I strung the guy along. I don't have "cloud" or any Apple devices but hey, they think everyone does! I kept the guy on the line about 5 minutes but I had a leaking pipe to find and fix for a friend. I revered to my real voice and said "buddy, it's been fun stringing you along but I got to go." I hung up.

Let them call me, good times! :cool:

[340pd]

Speaking to calling, I believe it is time for all of us to start repeatedly calling our "politicians" and voicing our opinions on the allowing of looters, the tacit approval of allowing post offices, businesses, banks, and a police station to be burned, historic statues to be ripped from public places and endorsing the removal of such important things like the the images of kids on a box of Rice Krispies.
What really needs to be called for is the defunding and disbanding of the offices of so many of the mayors and city clowncils in this once great country.

[berettabone]

Well you haven't been in the vacation rental business. :p When you don't answer that phone, they just call the next listing and you don't make a booking. Not many people leave messages these days.

Personally, I enjoy when I get a live scammer....see I have an alter ego named "Lee Loo," a recent immigrant from China. His English is limited, he has a hard time understanding people, especially those with an Indian accent. Sometimes callers from India get made at Lee Loo, which is sad because Lee Loo really cares about what they have to say. Usually, the caller gets angry and hangs up on Lee Loo.....very bad manners! Lee Loo sad. Sad Lee Loo. :cool:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_ll_qnBNTY Funny, my alter ego is Hadji....................at the end after the string along, I suggest that may a crazed camel squat in their rojak.:madgrin: