Completely Random Thoughts

[wurwolf]

They wanted $140 per month for phones for us. That just seems ridiculous to me. Our house phone is $30 a month. We have internet here in the house. A gps would be nice but I can't see spending $140 a month for that. I mean for fuck's sake, that's almost a car payment.

I did have a prepaid phone for a while but I let it expire because I never used it and they constantly wanted me to top up even though I never actually used the thing.

I don't even like talking on the phone, the last thing I want is people actually being able to get a hold of me.

[Tripe]

Verizon?

[wurwolf]

Yep. And that was with a work discount, too.

[Tripe]

Yep we visited Verizon last weekend to see their exciting new plan structure, meh.

[D.B. Barnes]

I used to say if it wasn't for work, I wouldn't even have a cell phone, but ever since I got a smart phone, I use that thing all the time for internet, email, etc. At this point, I imagine if I didn't have one, I would totally miss it.

[Tripe]

Yes it's not a phone it's a data-pod and that's what I use it for, just wish I could find a better data plan somewhere (and that people would faster on making that camera-focussed data-pod I've talked about in the past).

[wurwolf]

This is kind of my point, though. To me it sounds like it's basically a toy, and I can't see spending that kind of money on what amounts to a toy. I have internet and email and a camera already.

There have been a couple of occasions when we've had the kids with us and I've been glad they had their cell phones (the time we broke down in Tennessee springs to mind), and now that my youngest is going to college we won't have the kids with us any more, so I thought we should get phones. But cripes, that's a lot of money. And as you pointed out, Im, they rape you on the fees. That $140 is just what they quoted us. I'm sure by the time they get done adding taxes and fees it would be close to $200.

I think what we might do is just buy one of those prepaid phones with minutes already set on it when we leave for our trip down south in a couple of weeks, just to have on hand in case we need it. We probably won't and I'll probably wind up throwing it out.

[ScottotD]

I love my phone, we don't have a landline & I barely talk on it but use it all the time for text, games, gps, social networky stuff, podcasts, photos, etc, etc.   While I guess none of that is necessary to my life I'd feel weirdly disconnected without it now.

[Tripe]

This is kind of my point, though. To me it sounds like it's basically a toy, and I can't see spending that kind of money on what amounts to a toy. I have internet and email and a camera already.

There have been a couple of occasions when we've had the kids with us and I've been glad they had their cell phones (the time we broke down in Tennessee springs to mind), and now that my youngest is going to college we won't have the kids with us any more, so I thought we should get phones. But cripes, that's a lot of money. And as you pointed out, Im, they rape you on the fees. That $140 is just what they quoted us. I'm sure by the time they get done adding taxes and fees it would be close to $200.

I think what we might do is just buy one of those prepaid phones with minutes already set on it when we leave for our trip down south in a couple of weeks, just to have on hand in case we need it. We probably won't and I'll probably wind up throwing it out.

Oh no, I fully understand your point, I'm not saying it's not valid, I'm saying for me, that's why I have one. Ideally though it would be that theoretical camera.

[losingmydignity]

Let me just say I really get the AT&T riffs these days...

[D.B. Barnes]

I should add that work pays for my phone, so I haven't actually had to consider whether or not I would pay for it myself.

[MartyS (Gromit)]

I'm glad I've been able to find batteries to keep my Razr V3 going all these years, do they even have regular phones any more?  I hate thinking about when my phone will finally die, I don't want a data plan, just a phone.    I've managed to stay on the $40 a month plan for the last 8 or 9 years ($48 after taxes and fees).

My dad has had a Tracfone for many years, for emergencies, once a year he pays about $100 and adds more minutes, he's got thousands of minutes built up on the thing.

[D.B. Barnes]

I'm glad I've been able to find batteries to keep my Razr V3 going all these years, do they even have regular phones any more?

Regular cell phones seem to be a thing of the past. Last time I went in for a new phone, I couldn't even find one that wasn't one of these big flat things with the giant screen. At first, I was pissed because all I wanted was a simple phone, but like I said, I'm hooked on all the data stuff now.

[Zombie Monty]

I was in a Vons supermarket yesterday, and they have this thing where they ask you if you want to round up your bill to the next dollar amount as a donation towards Muscular Dystrophy research. I don't normally shop at this store, so the whole thing was new to me. So, I'm standing in line behind a woman who's in the process of checking out, and the checker asks her is she would like to round up her bill seven cents to donate to MS. She said no. I'm not sure why, but I was a little taken aback. Seven cents? Somebody would ask you if you wanted to pitch in an extra seven cents to MS, and you would think about it for a second and actually say no?

Now for all I know, this woman may donate a bunch of money to charity (maybe even MS) through methods other than the occasional bill round up at the grocery store, but there was just something about the way she said "NO" that kinda makes me think she doesn't. And I understand people may have rules and preferences for deciding when and where to donate to stuff, but if I'm in line and somebody asks me if I wouldn't mind tacking on seven cents for MS, I'm not gonna say no.

On a side note, he asked me if I wanted to round up my bill forty-five cents, and I told him to round it up fifty-two cents to cover her seven cents. So, I guess the most important thing to take away from this story is that I am a fucking hero!!! 

And then the next day, the clerk was fired for his "poor math skills", as only an idiot would think that a $9.55 bill would "round up" to $10.07.

[a pretty girl is like]

I was in a Vons supermarket yesterday, and they have this thing where they ask you if you want to round up your bill to the next dollar amount as a donation towards Muscular Dystrophy research. I don't normally shop at this store, so the whole thing was new to me. So, I'm standing in line behind a woman who's in the process of checking out, and the checker asks her is she would like to round up her bill seven cents to donate to MS. She said no. I'm not sure why, but I was a little taken aback. Seven cents? Somebody would ask you if you wanted to pitch in an extra seven cents to MS, and you would think about it for a second and actually say no?

Now for all I know, this woman may donate a bunch of money to charity (maybe even MS) through methods other than the occasional bill round up at the grocery store, but there was just something about the way she said "NO" that kinda makes me think she doesn't. And I understand people may have rules and preferences for deciding when and where to donate to stuff, but if I'm in line and somebody asks me if I wouldn't mind tacking on seven cents for MS, I'm not gonna say no.

On a side note, he asked me if I wanted to round up my bill forty-five cents, and I told him to round it up fifty-two cents to cover her seven cents. So, I guess the most important thing to take away from this story is that I am a fucking hero!!! 

And then the next day, the clerk was fired for his "poor math skills", as only an idiot would think that a $9.55 bill would "round up" to $10.07.

DB, you're worse than Hitler!