How do you all live with these things?

[big kountry]

Its not the world we live in its the world we created I mean really I went truck shopping just last week an the thing was almost 75,000 the dealer is telling me all about the nav system how it will sync with my phone so my calls come through the speakers man where does it end needless to say I'm still rideing in my 1990 f-250 fuel guzzlein truck not some sissyfied computerized peice of 75,000 dog

I can understand that, when I want a truck I want something that hauls junk around not a spaceship, I could care less if it even had a radio. Just give me a motor, lights, and an 8ft bed.

Heck I just need 4wheeel drive the dealler showed me a cab an chassy but it was just as bad as the other so Pea Green will get an overhual an I wont have a truck payment as for the phone good luck to ya brotha my wife got me 1 of those droids I liked it but ther tractor didnt so I got me 1 of them motorola's that are shock water an me proof

[outskirtscustoms]

Yeah these new vehicles are nothing but junk, my fiance has an '02 Pontiac Grand am gt and has had more problems out of it than any car I have ever owned. As far as trucks go I still miss my old '66 International 1200 pickup. It was about as simple as you could get, no GPS, no on-star, no radio, no power steering, It was a fuel guzzling beast but it was safe, pulled like a tank, hit deer and kept driving, survived several stupid drivers running into it, and was PAID FOR! Best $500 I ever spent....And got most of that back when I scrapped it due to rust and blowing the engine.

[aka_locojoe]

I initially held out getting a cell phone, then later a smart phone. I guess I just didn't want to appear I was jumping on the band wagon or following the flock. Kinda stupid of me. They are very useful tools. People tend to abuse and over use them. With any new or better technology there is always a downside. A lot of times the downside can be avoided though by common sense, morality etc... of the user.
I always wonder if the creators of technology put much thought into the ill effects of what they're doing will have on society.
Internet is a great example. Think of all the bad stuff that goes along with it.

As for cars.... no way are the cars I had from the 60s - 80s better than the cars I've had in latter years. Cheaper yes. My first house cost less than an average new car today.

[outskirtscustoms]

I found out how to access my WiFi! This thing rocks!

[yoothgeye]

I still have a "dumb" phone. I text (gotta, I work with teenagers), make calls, that's it. I have had occasions when I realized it would've been nice to have access to my e-mail or a website somewhere, I made due, but I'm tired of "making due" at the price I pay. I have 1000 texts a month, no internet, and share 1100 national minutes with my wife. She has an additional 250 texts and no internet. Average monthly bill is $115.

So, you can get a phone from Walmart (Straight Talk) pre-paid at $45/month unlimited talk/text/web (some will point out that the web is not "actually" unlimited, but I don't plan to live on my phone). I gave my carrier a chance, and they didn't try to beat it, called a few others, once again, when I politely brought up Straight Talk, they had nothing to offer. There is a stigma in the US that the only people with pre-pay phones are dead beats with no credit who can't get a contract. No wonder we're swimming in debt in this country. Anyway, I'm dropping my carrier (I'm out of contract) and hitting up Straight Talk. They now sell SIM cards for $15, so if you get your hands on the right phone, you're golden. iPhone 4 from AT&T, $45/month on Straight Talk, same with iPhone 3gs, which I am getting one from free from brother-in-law who just upgraded to iPhone4.

I held out long enough, now my plan is to try to treat it more like a phone than a toy to distract me from reality.

[outskirtscustoms]

To me this thing is nothing more than a novelty and an mp3 player.