Friday, December 6, 2013

Sherry has found a new toy!

She learned about a down-town camera that is live 24/7 on main street. WOW, great she planned to watch the local parade.  BUT she for got to tune in.  She asked Shirl to drive by the camera and wave. Shirl drove to town and parked, it was raining but she lowered her window and waved. I will get a snap of that if it happens again.  She is getting her hometown fix.  Now if they would just mount a camera at Hardees to catch all the old folks in action on Monday morning, she would be set.

downtown Belmont

Sherry has a nephew in Afghanistan, he can stay in contact with his family daily if he likes via Skype.  We do not have Skype and do not understand it, but if I were deployed that would be a God-sent. Troops can see their loves and newborn babies even while they are deployed on ship or shore. In that respect technology is more than wonderful.

It is so hard to believe the changes in this world. Men deployed during WWII could not tell the family where they were. Every letter was read and sensitive information blotted out. I remember the news flashes on Saturday morning at the movies, They would begin with ‘Somewhere in the South Pacific’, the news men could not say where they were.  Every news cast from the ‘war-zone’ began with the same few words, “Somewhere in Europe I stand looking…..”

Bob Hope entertaining in 1944

The times I was deployed, Sherry and I used letters, reel to reel recorders and later cassettes to send our correspondence.  What a joy to get that reel and I could not wait to get somewhere private and play it to hear her voice.  We also had a little game, underneath each stamp was always a personal love note.

Bob HOpe Somewhere in the SouthPacific

(Another Bob Hope, Somewhere,,,,)

Once or twice I was able to call home using MARS (Military Affiliated Radio System). The system used a net work of Ham Radio operators. The ships radio might get a Ham in Charlotte, NC and call over the ships speakers that he had a contact if anyone wanted a phone patch to come to the radio room. The Charlotte guy would place a local call (or long distance and reverse the charges). When he got your wife or girlfriend on the phone he would patch the phone into the radio. That was known as a ‘phone patch’. Much more complicated than the cell.

 The phone calls were confusing because you had to use the radio term ‘over’, after each sentence. (or your part of the conversation) Then  ‘out’ when you were through.  It was also entertaining, because your conversations were on speakers and everyone waiting for their turn to call, could hear your conversations.  It was fun but to some it was embarrassing because the wife or girl friend did not know everyone was listening. If the caller forgot to tell them.

I know Paula remembers the letters from Mel and some of the rest of you may remember the mail calls. Did you ever do a phone patch?

Nite Shipslog

PS:

Separations are tough on lovers, it is amazing how sweet that familiar handwriting is on that letter, or how precious that voice sounds on a recorder. I can jus imagine the thrill of being able to call on the phone or computer.

*******************************************************

SAnta-CAR

Nothing is gonna stop this Santa!!!!

10 comments:

Chatty Crone said...

Ha I am first on yours today.

There is no such thing as pricacy anymore - I don't think the army could regulate it if they wanted too.

My son does Skype with us every weekend - so that is nice to see Will grow up.

Sandie

Jean said...

I have Skype on this computer but I don't have a camera and mike. I haven't used it. Like you said it's to complicated for me, lol. My granddaughter used it when her husband was deployed and when you ask her two small kids where their daddy was they would say in the computer. I will have to say we don't have much privacy anymore. We never know who's watching us now. Lol. Take care. Jean

Anonymous said...

My brother just joined the Army and at first he wrote letters home. After basic though, he got an iPhone and would video call my parents and his wife and daughter. Technology is wonderful.

My brother in law is in China and he uses Skype to keep in touch with us back here. It's very easy to use once it is set up.

TARYTERRE said...

Skype is a godsend for us when my husband is on the road and far from home. Being able to see each other is key.

Paula said...

It was only letters for Mel and I but we both wrote almost everyday. That was a long eighteen months. I have Skype on this new computer but haven't used it. Lynda has it and said we will do it but she is always on the go so I haven't mentioned it to her. Anyway my hair might not be combed. lol

Rose said...

I rememeber all Bob Hope's entertaining the troops along with all the other celebs!

I have Skpe on my Kindle but never activated it.

I guess I don't want anyone to see me without my makeup on! LOL

shirl72 said...

Everything has passed me by.
I need to take classes on how
to use all this new stuff.
Technology is wonderful. A lady
was just stopped and she had glasses
on where she could watch a movie
while driving. How dangerous does
that get. What next..

Louis la Vache said...

Mme la Vache uses Skype to stay in touch with her son, her brother and her mother in Japan.

Pixar's headquarters are in Emeryville, CA, less than 5 miles from Chez la Vache. The Frenchman who did the voice of one of the characters in the original "Cars" is a musician who plays at the
Walnut Creek farmers market where «Louis» used to sell his coffee on Sundays. (He forgets which character the Frenchman did the voice for.)

betty said...

It is good with all the technology these days to keep in touch. I know it must help the separations, especially between military families to be able to stay in touch and talk daily or as often as they can face to face so to speak. It is interesting how fast so much technology has come upon us, a mere 20 years ago a lot of this didn't exist and yet we did relatively fine. Makes you wonder what the next 20 years will be like.

betty

I'm mostly known as 'MA' said...

Technology is wonderful these days. I love it. I like the web cams they set up in areas so you can see whats going on. I used to check out the ones they had on the interstates to see how the road conditions were. I'm glad Sherry gets to see her hometown now when she wants.