Synchromysticism

" Synchromysticism:
The art of realizing meaningful coincidence in the seemingly mundane with mystical or esoteric significance."

- Jake Kotze

August 11, 2019

BoringPhone - The Minimalist Smartphone?

If Goldilocks owned a cell phone would BoringPhone be it?
I stumbled across a podcast called the 'Department of Conversation' when I was searching for podcasts featuring Miriam Lancewood -
Three Queens, a Women in the Wilderness and Sea-lions?
And I just listened to the latest 'Department of Conversation' podcast where Pat Brittenden talked with Alex Davidson, the inventor or the BoringPhone ... but in person, not over the phone or computer via Skype:-)
Sound too boring to you ... or just right?

UPDATE:
After I had written this post I picked up my copy of
'Women in the Wilderness' and there was a great example on page 191 (or should that be 911?-) of what smartphone technology is doing to relationships.
SPOILER ALERT if you haven't read the book yet,
"'Yep, I'm doing pretty damn well' Mouse said.
His main occupation, he told us proudly, was chasing women.
"You have no idea how handy a smartphone is.' He laughed, and tapped the device on the table.
It was surprising to see him so enthusiastic about technology; he never used to do anything with computers.
He looked at Peter. There's this app that'll link you up with the nearest chicks. You can have a root [f#ck] whenever you want.
'With an app?' asked Peter.
'Yeah.' Mouse laughed. Look at this. I learned all this stuff. It's bloody incredible.' He was shaking his head in wonder, while scrolling through his phone.
... Of course we had an enjoyable time together with lots of laughter, but the Mouse we knew seemed to have disappeared, lost in the world of technology and all the wonders it had to offer.
His passion for chasing pigs had been replaced with chasing women.
[why does the movie 'Deliverance' come to mind for me when I read that last sentence?-]
Whenever one of us was trying to say something, Mouse would be starring at his smartphone.
It was good to see him happy, but I felt a little sad.
The gentleness that I had seen before in Mouse seemed to have evaporated."

4 comments:

  1. Smartphones are so very necessary that I've managed to live without one my entire life and will continue to. I love the irony of the name, though. Calling the very thing that is draining IQ points out of dumb heads "smart" is nicely ironic.

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  2. I actually do have a Smartphone KM, but I'm pretty well disciplined with its use and the functions I use on my phone are pretty much the same functions only available on the BoringPhone.
    It's the camera function I use the most, as you would notice if you read through this blog, although I don't do selfies with my phone as being old school and not liking having my photo taken anyway my motto is that I wouldn't want to be seen together in a photo with someone who would want me in it:-)
    I'm the Groucho Marx of selfie philosophy.
    I always thought Smartphones were called that in honour of the old mobile shoe phone of Agent 86, Maxwell Smart out of the old TV show 'Get Smart';-)
    And I think BoringPhones are a good idea for people with additive personalities.
    It's like anything, such as gambling, drinking, eating, sex, TV, whatever ... some people like me can handle those things without losing my house, becoming an alcoholic, fat, a much bigger wanker than I am (;-)), a couch potato, or someone that says "whatever" all the time:-)
    It's probably my Virgo side of the cusp I was born on, but I'm pretty well disciplined when it comes to avoiding addictions ... not that I have or would try highly additive substances like heroin or crystal meth anyway.
    Although maybe the invention of a BoringComputer could be of some benefit to my present lifestyle?-)

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  3. No Smart phone here either, just an old land line. What I see on a daily basis with so called smart phones makes me very sad. To shine forth is key! 87

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  4. Probably a Smart move by you there Dennis;-)

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