Younger people might think they are the new kids on the block and have better ideas than the old, but is that really true? Yes, they might lead technology because in this day and age many of the younger generation expect the latest mobile phones, so they start young, fingering gadgets to online games and then get a knack for IT before entering the rivalrous arena of Information Tech. And why not you may ask!
Often, the older gismos work better. I wish these so-called experts would keep abreast of what works and what doesn’t before they delve into revolutionizing everything from cheese graters to computer software. People really in the know want amenities that work.
Take for instance, a simple cheese grater that we had for many years. My wife came back from Miami with a new model made in China which she purchased in a department store. The contraption had several types of removable graters while the main part fitted into a container situated below to collect the accumulation of cheese. She tossed out the old one, and told me what an excellent purchase she had made.
I was making cauliflower rice, so used the larger grating blade. It seemed to grate well, but then as the piece of cauliflower wore down to the final layer or so, my skin scuffed the blade and an abrasion occurred. Finishing up and the scraping irritated my skin further. In fact, after finishing from using such a sharp blade my skin was completely scratched. I needed to pass antiseptic ointment so it would heal a day or two later. Never before had an older model hurt me!
Another example is my mother’s frying pan. She bought an aluminium one made by Crown Merton Electric Ware company in England when she was sixteen years old. That’s eighty years ago. The pan is solid and durable. Made from aluminium it is also known for its excellent heat distribution. It conducts heat more than 10 times faster and more evenly than a stainless-steel frying pan. None of the new ideas come anywhere near if you want a good fry up!
Actually, she has a fantastic egg frying pan as well, so if you like your eggs perfectly cooked individually, that particular frying pan of aluminium for 3-eggs will do the trick. I’m sick of the dozen modern frying pans we have at home in Brazil, and that includes USA made ones which my wife has purchased in Miami. Most of them are Teflon based or similar nonstick, but there is something special about the way my mum’s eggs sunny side up, omelet, or any meat when cooked turns out. Apart from appearance, the flavor is much better!
Most people use nonstick frying pans, as they are less expensive and are readily available in most stores. However, there is potential chemical contamination from overheating or scratching and the non-stick surface may release perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a chemical considered harmful to health. Although, if you are careful, that shouldn’t be a problem nowadays. If you can, you are better off to invest in an aluminium, cast iron, or ceramic one.
The bottom line is often products from the past are made to last while new ones tend to be made of weaker materials with profit margins a clear distinction. I could go on about websites, software upgrades, or the insistence to pollute online usage.
There are many areas that need improvements and not deteriorations. In other words if you work with IT, please make sure any new ideas you come up with work, and exceed expectations!
Have a great day!
Prof. Carl Boniface
Vocabulary builder:
Fingering (v) = identifying, naming, point to, pick out, handling, touching, feeling, manipulating, toy with
Knack (n) = ability, skill, talent, flair, aptitude, capability, capacity, propensity, gift, facility, dexterity
Rivalrous (adj) = emulous, prone to or subject to rivalry (competition). “The show is about rivalrous siblings fighting for their place in the family business."
Gismos (n) = gadgets, devices, contraptions, thingamajigs, widgets
Delve (v) = investigate, research, probe, dig, explore, examine, enquire, inquire, look into
Amenities (n) = is the plural form of amenity which means a desirable or useful feature or facility of a building or place. "The property is situated in a convenient location, close to all local amenities." (syn) feature, nicety, creature comfort, pleasantness, attractiveness, niceness, agreeableness, (ant) discomfort
Tossed (v) = mixed, stirred, blended, incorporated, threw, thrown, flung. Please note when using a preposition afterwards, as a phrasal verb like: tossed out, it means to throw away i.e., the old grater was thrown out.
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