Technology is such a wonderful thing and it makes life so much easier … or are we getting lazier?

Okay, older readers — remember when you had to physically get off the couch or chair to change the channel on the TV? I’ll take it one step forward and remind you that, if you were changing the channel, you had to move the indoor antenna on top of the TV to clear up the channel from snow. It wasn’t really snowing, but that’s what all TV repairmen would call it when you didn’t have a clear picture.

Over the years, technology has improved, going from a wired society to a wireless one. Remember your first cordless phone? That was space age, like the Jetsons (yeah, you have to be way older to remember the Jetsons).

How about when an extension cord had an on-off switch? No more reaching around the Christmas tree jeopardizing knocking it down when you had to turn on or turn off the tree lights, all you did was hit the switch in a convenient spot and voila — lights!

Related Video

Bluetooth technology has really increased the wireless trends. Computers, phones, speakers, TVs, car radios and more now use Bluetooth technology. Wi-Fi is a form of wireless that connects high-speed access to the Internet.

Years ago, my brother, who is an architect, told me about smart homes. Smart homes were being built where you can turn on and off appliances and lights remotely or wirelessly. Smart homes even have controls that can set your tub or shower temperatures.

I’ve slowly incorporated smart home technology into my house as the price of technology has steadily come down.

I have light switches hooked up to my house Wi-Fi technology, meaning as I sit in a chair, couch or lie in bed, I can turn lights on or off in every part of my house from my cellphone. Taking it one step forward, I can control lights and my heating/air conditioning unit from anywhere in the world.

I don’t know about you, but that blows my mind. Technology has come so far with computers, cellphones, smart TVs and just about anything else you can think of, including the digital cameras I use for work.

It makes me wonder where we will go from here. Maybe it will come down to us just thinking of changing the channel on the TV instead of physically changing it. Will it ever be possible to just think of something happening to making it happen? I’m skeptical, but holy Star Trek, to SciFi for me.

Will great-grandparents be a thing of the past?

According to Women’s Health magazine, in 2017 the average age of a woman getting married is 27.4 years and for men, it’s 29.5 years, which is the oldest age averages in America to date.

To give you an example of years gone by — in 1990, it was 24 for a woman; in 1980, it was 22; and in 1950, it was 20.

I was reminded of this as I sat in church during a funeral Mass for Mary Lou Krimowski at Holy Rosary Church in Duryea.

It was amazing to see how many grandchildren and great-grandchildren were present. She had four children, 15 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren. What a testimony and legacy to her life. She was blessed to see so many of her grandchildren have children and to see them all flourish is something future generations may not see again.

With generations getting married at an older age, it virtually reduces the chances of them ever seeing great-grandchildren in their lifetime.

It’s pretty amazing to think how the average marriage age has differed by nearly 10 years in the last 68 years

I was lucky to know one of my great-grandparents before she passed away when I was 7 years old.

Mary Lou was a very lucky woman and, if you think of it, her grandchildren got to live and learn from their grandmother. Her great-grandchildren, the most rare of the lineage, will one day realize how fortunate they are to have been loved by Mary Lou.

It’s very much a reality that future generations will never know a great-grandparent.

What’s next?

Now that the summer’s activities are over and in the history books and the second Friday Art Walks are winding down for the year, we turn our attention to Paint Pittston Pink with plenty of events planned from Sept. 22 through Oct. 6.

Paint Pittston Pink is the creation of Barbara Sciandra and Qiana Lehman who, in 2013, decided to raise money to beat breast cancer by donating to Pennies in Action Fund where the money goes toward a revolutionary vaccine to eradicate breast cancer.

This year, in addition to Celebrity Bartending, Paint the Night Pink, Give a Pint-Get a Pint, Paint PAZZO Pink, the Gentlemen’s Dash and many more events, Paint Pittston Pink’s Rockin’ Roast will take place from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 22 at the F.M. Kirby Center where Ed Ackerman, Dave Fusco, Pittston Mayor Michael Lombardo, PA Sen. John Yudichak, and DJs Prospector and Lazy E will be roasted.

Atty. Jarrett Ferentino, Rabbi Larry Kaplan, Fr. James Paisley and Lori Nocito will be the emcees for the night.

Sounds like Barbara and Qiana have put together another great series of events of Paint Pittston Pink 2018.

Quote of the week

“Welcome the task that makes you go beyond yourself.” – Frank Mcgee, American journalist

Thought of the week

“What is so brilliant about the gadgets is their simplicity.” Desmond Llewelyn, Welsh actor

Bumper sticker

“There is nothing stronger in the world than gentleness.” Han Suyin, Chinese novelist

https://www.psdispatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/web1_Tony-Callaio-1.jpg.optimal.jpg

My corner,

Your corner

Tony Callaio