I remember when I was a kid I had a project where I had to answer 50 questions about the first 40 Presidents of the United States from place of birth to length of term and slogans used against their opponents "54 40 or fight"~ James K Polk. And my source for this assignment, the World Book Encyclopedia, circa 1976. I remember still the burgundy leather bound books swelled with yellow tattered pages and corners folded to mark important pages. It took me about a week to gather all of that boring ass information from the books and place it into a report. And since my set of encyclopedias only covered up to Ford so I still had to muster up the energy to search the library for Carter and Reagan adding another couple of days of work.
Fast forward twenty plus years and holy cow, Mr. Dewey Decimal, while I am still forever in debt to your wealth of knowledge and enamored by your vastness, I worry for your future old man. Don't worry, you won't lose me as a patron as the older I become the more I realize your importance and still get aroused by the mere mention of the library. But then again I also get excited walking out to mailbox and a little giddy when I open the morning newspaper and have a sip of warm coffee.
But technology is giving you a run for your money pops...you better strap on a jet pack and propel yourself into the next decade and get ahead of the speeding bullet technology train...because as I was driving home tonight I began to think of all the ways I have used my Palm Pre phone to find out random information, and in most cases I found it out in less than a minute from the front seat of my car. I mean did you know that...
10. I can find out why Bear Grylls gave himself an enema on a raft last night on Man vs. Wild?
9. I can search for what they call the name of the bad ass flying dragon on Avatar so I cand then put it in my FB status as wanting to buy one.
8. I can use my phone to google the "correct" pronunciation of the word conch to settle a dispute between friends (and it is pronounced conk in case you are wondering).
7. I can use google maps to find out the closest IHOP, because they are the only "international house" that serve chocolate chip pancakes within a 30 mile radius.
6. I can read Pride and Prejudice, that took less than a minute to download.
5. I can take a snapshot of the Rocky Mountains and save it as my wallpaper.
4. I can find out what time, exactly, the International Space Station will be flying overhead.
3. I can also find out what time it will start snowing (within an hour) so that I can make sure my car is parked securely in the garage.
2. I can use it to RSVP YES for a helicopter ride over Vegas. Best watch out flying Elvis.
And lastly...
1. I can find out what color bras my girlfriends are wearing...
