Catching Up

I went out and finally did it--I got a smartphone. In my case, an iPhone 5c, in a lovely lurid green color (high visibility). I've had it since Thursday. So far, I'm finding it at both delightful and slightly frustrating.

The good:

• more space (16GB vs my old 8GB iPod)--more music available to me, space for all photos, and room to grow
• more features (the biggie: constant connectivity via the network; slightly lower down the list: a better camera, and more newer apps available to me)
• combining my music player with my phone (not trivial; I've missed plenty of calls in the past by not being able to hear my phone due to headphones and music via my iPod--now, of course, my phone is my iPod)

The bad:

• its a slippery little devil (this has been a pox on the iPhone from its first incarnation, and it hasn't changed yet--purposefully, of course, in order to prop up the secondary market for accessories like cases)
• a more baffling interface (iOS 7 is not as user friendly as the earlier operating systems; at first I found using it confusing and non-intuitive, plus the visual design is not as friendly and inviting)
• loss of some settings/data (several of my apps did not transfer their data; I had to restore some from backups, and others needed direct input of info; plus using iCloud [since disabled] killed some features like syncing my contacts directly--not good)

But, as with the ACA, among other things, I'm sure this is a thing that will iron itself out with time. I'm happy to have joined the 21st century (or at least its second decade) with my communications device, at last. I gratefully accept your congratulations. Selah.

Recently Read

Season of ‘42
Joe D, Teddy Ballgame, and Baseball’s Fight to Survive a Turbulent First Year of War
by Jack Cavanaugh

Season of '42
By Jack Cavanaugh

Baseball is, famously, the “talking game,” and a lot of that talking takes place in the pages of books. Each year, the depths of winter bring a longing for the summer game, a desire that directs us to the bookshelf in search of yet another of the delightful “conversations” that are so much a part of the game’s literary tradition.

This year, I chose Jack Cavanaugh’s Season of ‘42 for my January baseball fix. That turned out to be an a major error.

The first warning sign should have been the title: Season of ‘42. That title--so closely echoing earlier efforts, in various media (including David Halberstam’s vastly superior Summer of ‘49)--feels unmistakably unoriginal. To be fair, baseball’s 1942 season is Cavanaugh’s focus, so the title may be considered apt. Certainly, being derivative could be overcome by exceptional execution. Great writing, like winning, cures a lot of ills.

Wordsmith

Another term for Stephen's Dictionary:

Paperize
[verb]
To take your collected, rolled up coin change to the bank and exchange it for paper money; to convert metal money into paper money