Thursday, September 23, 2010

The Somehat Lighter Side of Cell Phones


New World Notes News
Vol. 3, No. 39 -- September 25, 2010

This week in New World Notes, radio program #134, September 28 & October 2:

The Somewhat Lighter Side
of Cell Phones

Senator Chuck (formerly Charles) Schumer has co-sponsored a bill
requiring all purchases of prepaid cell phones to be registered--
to keep them out of the hands of drug dealers and terrorists.

Most photos: click to enlarge.

In brief

Our third look at cell phones and related equipment is less gloomy and more amusing than the first two (NWN #127 & 133).

We'll see grandstanding U.S. Senators denouncing prepaid cell phones as tools of drug dealers, gang members, and (of course) terrorists--and calling for purchases to be registered.

In the second part of "Wireless Mind, Gullible Mind," Chellis Glendinning wittily catalogues the psychological defense mechanisms people employ to avoid recognizing that electromagnetic radiation from cells, Wi-Fi, and WiMAX is harmful to health. She also catalogues instances of citizens' (sometimes successful) resistance to cell towers, Wi-Fi hotspots, and WiMAX in their environment.

Spoken-word artist Jello Biafra comically satirizes the inadequacies of much of the new communications technologies in solving problems and in fostering human relationships (though he's in favor of making phone calls).

Finally, a selection of amusing items from this year's Beloit College Mindset List--designed to remind professors of how different entering freshmen's memories and cultural references are from their own. Some items involve communications devices. Other items don't--such as the reminder that, to students, "Fergie" is a pop singer, not a princess.

His music is an acquired taste, but Jello Biafra's political
and cultural commentary is astute and funny.

Notes, credits, & links

This week's incidental music: Glenn Miller Orchestra, Pennsylvania 6-5000.

The complete text of Chellis Glendinning's "Wireless Mind, Gullible Mind" is here.

The complete Beloit College Mindset List for the entering Class of 2014 is here.

New World Notes is produced under the auspices (Latin for "Boardwalk") of WWUH-FM, a community service of that beacon of light in darkest Connecticut, the University of Hartford.

Feedback to kdowst at hotmail period com.
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You can listen to any installment of New World Notes online or else download it (as an mp3 audio file) for later listening. New World Notes' main audio archive is at radio4all.net. Installments beginning with #90 are archived also at The Internet Archive, in a variety of file formats. Either link should get you a reverse-chrono listing of available installments. Or browse the show's Web site: Each installment has a page, and each page has links to the recorded audio.

Series overview: Political and social commentary in a variety of genres. Exploring the gap between what we want ... and what they're trying to make us settle for.

Bottom: Typical Beloit College undergraduate. The college's annual
Mindset List reminds professors how different freshmen are from
themselves. For one, most freshmen don't wear wristwatches;
instead, they consult the clock on their cell phone.

Coming soon (Tuesday air debut date shown)

  • October 5 -- Gulf Oil.
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