Teaching Grandad to suck eggs
I sometimes wonder if I’m too old for this lark.
I poke around the Interweb and I find kids who are millionaires because of some crap idea they had, at an age when I was playing around with crystal radios and wondering when they were going to invent the silicon chip.
Then I poke a bit further and find all those warm cuddly sites telling us old folk not to worry too much about the Interweb, and that our grandchildren can easily teach us how to use email.
It’s all wrong. It goes against nature.
The traditional way of doing things is for me to grow in age and wisdom, and then start stunning the younger generations with my vast reserves of knowledge. Instead of that, they go and invent something in the latter stages of my life that leaves my vast reserves of knowledge just about fit for a museum.
It’s not fair.
Why the fuck couldn’t they have invented the computer and the Interweb when I was still young enough to grow up with it? I mean to say, my encyclopaedic knowledge of playing Solitaire is hardly going to impress some child just out of nappies who can trounce me at World of Doom or whatever the fuck it is they play these days?
It is all wrong.
Is there anyone out there who would like to hear all about the thermionic triode valve?
Anyone?
On the subject of valves, have you seen the price of them these days? Two of them are gone in my amplifier and they’re €60 to replace a pair.
Triods are OK, but I had much more fun playing with Traveling Wave Tubes and Magnetrons. Until they too were replaced by Silicon (or Germanium for some frequencies).
Robert – In my day they were almost literally ten a penny. You could certainly pick them up in most electrical shops for a few shillings. If you had mentioned it before, I could have kept some for you?
Jim C – That’s all microwave stuff. They didn’t trust me with that in college [not after that little ‘death ray’ experiment of mine…… 😐 ]
Oh, go on then.
My, is that the time…
I’m not sure how well this fits with the post, but….
My father grew up on the south coast of Ireland before houses had electricity. Passing ships used to throw dead light bulbs overboard and they’d wash up on the shore. He and his siblings used to have little ventures collecting ‘fairies in glass’!
If you knew about valves GD you were ahead of the times!
Did you tell The Doctor that you had nicked that from the Tardis?
I know a valve beats a transistor hands down.
Mick – I was always ahead of myself. It has been a lifelong problem.
Ian – Even time travellers prefer to use reliable technology.
TT – Of course it does. Just ask Dr Who [or Captain Kirk].
Now. Just for Not Twitter…..
You have an anode, a cathode and a grid.
Shit! Sorry! Time for the pub.