Daily Dirt: All of those years getting up to change the channels had some advantages

Daily Dirt for Aug. 20, 2021
Vol. 42 of the Daily Dirt will try and explain some of the principal differences in what separates 
baby boomers from ensuing generations. Welcome to today’s three thoughts:

A. Many baby boomers like myself feel fortunate if we can turn on their home computers. Others will never understand the intricate workings of the cell phone we carry with us. But there are a few things boomers will always be able to hold over the heads of our Generation X and millennial friends, not to mention our Generation Y and Z relatives and acquaintances. Such as:

1. We boomers grew up using typewriters, not keyboards. I doubt if someone from Generation Z could last 15 minutes pounding on one of those old-fashioned typewriters.

2. Boomers spent the majority of their lives using encyclopedias to look up information before the internet made such tasks much easier. While the internet is obviously much quicker for that kind of thing, the same level of satisfaction of having spent hours and hours and hours seeking out information in a series of cumbersome books and transcribing notes can never be replaced. (Well, if you actually believe that, I also have some ocean-front property in Arizona you might be interested in purchasing.)

3. Speaking of cell phones, boomers grew up using rotary phones and even dialing “0” to talk to a real-live operator for assistance. We also used phone booths on occasion. Human contact has always been important to boomers. (For those uncertain what a phone booth even is — or was, please see anyone with gray hair. They’ll fill you in, and if they try and tell you how much they preferred rotary phones and finding a phone booth make a call, see that previous comment about the ocean-front property.)

4. Boomers grew up having to get up and down out of their favorite chair or from the sofa to change channels on their television set. It wasn’t until most were in their 30s that TV remotes became commonplace. Those who followed the boomers have no idea how much more physically fit they would be if they had spent their formative years constantly getting up and down to change those channels.

B. Fanbuzz.com says the following schools have the top 10 college football uniforms:

1. Michigan

2. USC

3. LSU

4. Notre Dame

5. Oregon

6. North Carolina

7. Ohio State

8. Boise State

9. Texas

10. UCLA

“They can’t beat the Ohio State Buckeyes anymore … (but) Michigan has, and likely will always have, the best uniforms in college football,” writes Chris Morgan. “There is no better look than the maize-and-blue of the Wolverines’ home uniforms. It’s iconic. It’s historic. There is no better helmet in college football. Other looks come close, but nobody beats Michigan. Hail to the Victors.”

C. Author Brian Delpozo recently ranked history’s top rock bands for the definition.org website. Delpozo’s top seven were understandable (although the order, of course, could be disputed), but the final three selections were kind of questionable, especially Nos. 9-10. Delpozo’s top 10 were:

1. Beatles

2. Rolling Stones

3. The Who

4. Led Zeppelin

5. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band

6. U2

7. Beach Boys

8. Van Halen

9. Ramones

10. Nirvana

I would have replaced Nos. 7-10 with Chicago, Creedence Clearwater Revival and Fleetwood Mac. Just missing my cut would be the Doors, ZZ Top, Bon Jovi and Queen.

Steve Eighinger writes daily for Muddy River News. He likes cookies.