Topic: Things We Now Can't Live Without

[The Bournemouth Red]

What inventions do you use all the time that you can't imagine not having before they came into popular use, or how you coped without it?

Easy starter would be the mobile phone, but I'll also chuck in the rearview camera in the car.

[CraigDS]

Internet, mobile & some sort of computer/tablet are the 3 that immediately stand out which I remember a time where they didn't exist (or at least not in mass use) and now use daily.

Loads of other stuff which came into mass use before my time I'd probably struggle to live without, but never known a time where I haven't so won't include them.

[ChaChaMooMoo]

Sneakers.

Believe it or not, I had my first sneakers 3 years ago when I was 30. I had lots of casual shoes but never a sneaker. And now I have 3 of them.

I bought my first Sketchers then. And they changed my life. A shoe that is as good to be worn to a bar on a Friday as it is to work during the week?

Edit: I am avoiding the cliched options when I said this. Phone, Internet, TV etc etc etc.

[Elmo!]

Synthetic Insulin, literally.

[TepidT2O]

Synthetic Insulin, literally.

The way it has been genetically engineered to convert from the monomeric to hexameric forms as required is amazing clever

[redbyrdz]

Think I could still live quite well without many of the things like phones, internet. If nobody else had them either, at least. It's more the advancements in medicine, or even stuff like less polluting cars, that I wouldn't want to do without now.

[Mumm-Ra]

Sneakers.

Believe it or not, I had my first sneakers 3 years ago when I was 30. I had lots of casual shoes but never a sneaker. And now I have 3 of them.

I bought my first Sketchers then. And they changed my life. A shoe that is as good to be worn to a bar on a Friday as it is to work during the week?

Edit: I am avoiding the cliched options when I said this. Phone, Internet, TV etc etc etc.

Where are you from? First trainers at 30, and they were Sketchers? I'm going to guess you are in Papua New Guinea.

[The Bournemouth Red]

TV channels.  3 when I was growing up, now it's basically unlimited what with streaming channels.

[ChaChaMooMoo]

Where are you from? First trainers at 30, and they were Sketchers? I'm going to guess you are in Papua New Guinea.

India first. And then Germany since 2008. I had lots of casual shoes. Adidas, Nike, Puma of course. Then Dockers, Converse, Bata, Rovers, Bugatti, Tom Tailor, Tommy Hilfiger and other local brands and nameless brands.

But never a sneaker from any of these brands. No. I got my first ever sneakers 3 years ago when I was 30. Wholehearted truth.

[Joff]

Rearview camera on a car??? Pretty sure I can carry on living without it 😂

[Kenny's Jacket]

Rearview camera on a car??? Pretty sure I can carry on living without it 😂

Ive got a rear view mirror, its ace.

[Chakan]

Toilet paper...

[Kenny's Jacket]

Toilet paper...

Having worked in SE Asia for large parts of my life, I can say its overrated.

[ChaChaMooMoo]

Having worked in SE Asia for large parts of my life, I can say its overrated.

I agree. Power faucets FTW.

[Kenny's Jacket]

I agree. Power faucets FTW.

Mate Ive got no idea what that means  but if its one of those arse washing jet sprays, the yeah they're great.  Also very satisfying 

[Buck Pete]

India first. And then Germany since 2008. I had lots of casual shoes. Adidas, Nike, Puma of course. Then Dockers, Converse, Bata, Rovers, Bugatti, Tom Tailor, Tommy Hilfiger and other local brands and nameless brands.

But never a sneaker from any of these brands. No. I got my first ever sneakers 3 years ago when I was 30. Wholehearted truth.

I'm a bit confused here.  You've had Adidas, Nike and Puma but never sneakers

What the fuck are sneakers?

I thought they were the same as trainers, runners, pumps etc?

If they are then what have you been wearing from Adidas and Nike?

[CraigDS]

I'm a bit confused here.  You've had Adidas, Nike and Puma but never sneakers

What the fuck are sneakers?

I thought they were the same as trainers, runners, pumps etc?

If they are then what have you been wearing from Adidas and Nike?

They’re for sneaking in. Obviously.

Training for for training. Runners for running. Pumps for pumping.

[CHOPPER]

The importing of quality European beers and wines.

[The Bournemouth Red]

Ive got a rear view mirror, its ace.

Clearly not been a passenger when my Mum's driving 

[CraigDS]

The importing of quality European beers and wines.

& spirits.

Just got myself a Colombian distilled gin that has been aged in rum barrels 

[ChaChaMooMoo]

If they are then what have you been wearing from Adidas and Nike?

I only ever have bought shoes like this.







And my understanding of a sneaker is....

[ChaChaMooMoo]

Mate Ive got no idea what that means  but if its one of those arse washing jet sprays, the yeah they're great.  Also very satisfying 

Those power jets. Yes. Absolutely satisfying as I get to avoid this...

[Mark Walters]

GPS. I used to travel around for work in the mid-90s and having to ask the site I was visiting for directions in advance, and actually trying to follow those directions as I was driving was a pain in the arse!

[Crosby Nick]

GPS. I used to travel around for work in the mid-90s and having to ask the site I was visiting for directions in advance, and actually trying to follow those directions as I was driving was a pain in the arse!

Mad. I remember visiting mates from uni who lived in Nottingham. I remember visiting mates in Nottingham and Leeds back in uni days with an address and a quick look at a road atlas and somehow found where they lived without any means of contacting them had I got lost en route.

[Statto Red]

TV channels.  3 when I was growing up, now it's basically unlimited what with streaming channels.

Definitely this, i was still in primary school when C4 was launched, i can watch almost anything now without the need for a Video recorder/DVD player, through streaming & such, back then it was watch it or miss out, & hope it would be repeated if you did miss it.

 

[Nitramdorf]

GPS. I used to travel around for work in the mid-90s and having to ask the site I was visiting for directions in advance, and actually trying to follow those directions as I was driving was a pain in the arse!

As good as they are, a lot of people rely on them so much they have no idea where they are. I used to be out on the road a lot and didnt need a map after a while but a few years back couple of lads at work were going to Wales, with only a map and when the passenger was looking for where to go, he said " we can go down this blue road" he was talking about the River Severn.

[AndyMuller]

Masks and hand sanitiser

[The Bournemouth Red]

GPS. I used to travel around for work in the mid-90s and having to ask the site I was visiting for directions in advance, and actually trying to follow those directions as I was driving was a pain in the arse!

My Dad used to do a lot of site visits round the South and he had a crate full of those little, red A to Z books. Glovebox crammed full plus a few of the big AA atlases.

Now it's all built into the dashboard.

[Jm55]

GPS is a great shout.

For me it would probably be MP3s (when ignoring the more obvious stuff like phones etc.)

I remember back when I was 17 walking around with a fucking diskman in my pocket, absolute nightmare compared to the ease of having it all on one device and not having to pay £10 for every album.

[Zlen]

Wireless keyboards, mice and headphones. Because cables and wires can go f themselves.

[Crimson]

I only ever have bought shoes like this.







And my understanding of a sneaker is....

That is definitely not sneakers. I'd say the first one on the list is the most sneaker-ish!  The two Skechers' are more like sporty loafers.

[God's Left Peg]

The importing of quality European beers and wines.

Fine wines and Belgian chocolates

[soxfan]

Netflix.

I didn't really watch TV much at all before. Now I'm in COVID-19 prison and when my signal dies I'm ready to commit murder to get Netflix back online.

[Crosby Nick]

Interesting that no one in the thread so far has been brave enough to say porn.

Did you see what happened to Effes?

[Statto Red]

GPS is a great shout.

For me it would probably be MP3s (when ignoring the more obvious stuff like phones etc.)

I remember back when I was 17 walking around with a fucking diskman in my pocket, absolute nightmare compared to the ease of having it all on one device and not having to pay £10 for every album.

I listen to music through my mobile phone rather than an MP3, store the music on my sim card, yep i remember having the sony walkman cassette then switched to the CD player, having to rummage through CDs or tapes to find the music i wanted to listen to ecc, so easy to do now just a quick look through my mobiles, VLC player app.

 I always brought sonys, battery life was great with them.

[Crimson]

Did you see what happened to Effes?

[UntouchableLuis]

Things I would find very difficult to lose now:

Dishwasher
Mobile
Netflix
Sat Nav
Internet

Life would be so much harder but that's because I'm 29 and have grown up with all of this stuff pretty much.

I do think mental health would probably be a lot better in the majority without some of that stuff.

[Crimson]

RAWK

[McrRed]

TV channels.  3 when I was growing up, now it's basically unlimited what with streaming channels.

And all of them shite...

Second, or third the shout for GPS. Coming from AA maps and A-Zs of London and Manchester satnav is still magic to me.

The internet. I remember having to use libraries and older people in the community to find out shit. Now a quick search and there's a video for every subject under the sun

[Hedley Lamarr]

Things I would find very difficult to lose now:

Dishwasher
Mobile
Netflix
Sat Nav
Internet

Life would be so much harder but that's because I'm 29 and have grown up with all of this stuff pretty much.

I do think mental health would probably be a lot better in the majority without some of that stuff.

Dishwasher ?  Really Jesus, hot water, Fairy and a bowl, what an absolute ballache.