Ancient tech.

I was cleaning out my office on Saturday, and I came across this relic of an ancient civilization.

Ah, the old flip phone. I'm not sure when my wife finally had enough and demanded we get smartphones, but I know I was using this Samsung as late as 2013. I think it was after a trip out of state in which we were going to a wedding, and I forgot my digital camera. I bought a disposable digital camera, but I inadvertently got one without a flash. So all the pictures from the reception were deep brown; it looked like it was being held in a sewer rather than a lovely hall. The Samsung flip phone did get a few shots, but not all that great. 

Regardless, that wasn't the reason my wife pressured me into agreeing to get smartphones for us soon after. The reason was that the suits upstairs at her workplace were eliminating the company-issued Blackberrys and were going to insist employees instead use apps on their personal phones. So we got iPhones and joined the 21st century. 

One reason for my reluctance is that, six years into the smartphone era, it was already plain that those little handhelds were more addictive than even the Crackberry had been. People of weak character couldn't seem to put them down. So I knew it would happen to me. 

In related news, we may be on the brink of a much larger technological upheaval. Guess who is being born today! 

Is this true? I mean, not does The Jetsons paint an accurate picture of the near future, but was George Jetson supposed to be born on July 31, 2022? For help I turned to that prestigious scientific journal, People magazine: 

In a tweet on Thursday, fan Brendan Kergin shared a chart from the character's online fan page, which includes George's basic information, such as his dad's name Montague, his wife's name Jane and his catchphrase: "Jane! Stop this crazy thing!"

But, most importantly, Kergin highlighted George's birthday — which is said to be July 31, 2022.

The article goes on to explain that the show, which debuted in 1962, was supposed to take place in the far-flung world a century ahead, so 2062. George's age in the first season was established as 40, so the year is correct. The actual birthdate is subject to conjecture, as far as I and People know. 

Of course, the real shock is that we are six-tenths of the way to the date of the show. I don't mind not having the flying cars, but I really would like the conveyor belt that got George clean, shaved, and dressed in under a minute. 

Also, as readers know, my elder dog is called Tralfaz, after Astro's original name on the show. I'd better not find Baby Jetson coming around here trying to swipe my dog, is all I'm saying. Or his dad, Montague. Or his boy, Elroy.