If you could undo one Invention, what would it be and why?

[Tchocky]

Surface search radars small enough to be mounted onboard warships.

[Armistead]

microwave ovens...wonder if women today would use a stove.

[Feuer Frei!]

Originally Posted by Armistead

microwave ovens...wonder if women today would use a stove.

Some do.
You just have to find the right one.

As I stated, and Ducimus added to?
The Fossil Fuels and things derived from them?
Once gone, you are going to see a Blood Bath that makes Easter Island's history look like a picnic!

You may think it all just used for powering Tractors or Cars.
Think again!
Where is all your plastic going to come from once Oil is gone?
No plastic? We chop down trees.
(Shades of Easter Island's End!)
We'd be in a bad way for trees now if not for plastics!

Once the fossil fuels are nearly gone?
Look for the Nukes to fall!
Most likely Neutron Bombs.
(Won't want to corrupt land We're going to TAKE!)

Look for massive starvation in the Middle East at the same time.
(No need to Nuke them. They will starve to death and there's nothing left to take anyway. And without fuel? Ships can't sail with food to help.)

Power Plants shut down so no lights, TV, NOTHING!
Even your Cell Phone has become a brick!
(No power? No Cell Towers!)

You want a new religious movement?
This will bring one in a way that will make the Inquistion look like mere childs play.

[longam]

24 hr news stations.

[the_tyrant]

please, pllleassse, PPPLLLEEEAAASSSEEE TAKE REBECCA BLACK BACK!

[Gargamel]

Originally Posted by longam

24 hr news stations.

That don't report the news.


The old Headline News channel from years ago when they did a true 30 minute news broadcast every 30 minutes was great.

[TorpX]

Originally Posted by Ducimus

How do you think we're able to feed all these people? Cause it sure aint done with a horse and plow anymore, nor any small farm tractors. Fuel has a direct relation to how much were able to farm and harvest.

Doesn't it also have a lot to do with powering our computation-random number-game playing-internet wire-thingys too?

[papa_smurf]

Automated phone menus and call centres. "press 1 for this, 2 for that", I just want to talk to a real person, and when you do get to a real person they only follow a pre-written script.

[Feuer Frei!]

Originally Posted by papa_smurf

Automated phone menus and call centres. "press 1 for this, 2 for that", I just want to talk to a real person, and when you do get to a real person they only follow a pre-written script.

Hear Hear!
The good ole days of customer service has long been forgotten.

[tater]

Originally Posted by Feuer Frei!

Hear Hear!
The good ole days of customer service has long been forgotten.

A good customer service story (not automated!).

It's OT, but when we went to San Francisco, I booked Pacific Heights Limousine to send a town-car to pick us up at Oakland. The idea was just to make it super easy, even though the car service was <2X what a cab would be. Figured on the way back, I'd have a feel for things and a cab would be fine (never been to SF before).

Get to Oakland, no one is there to meet us. I call. Guy says that there was a screw up, and the car is 10-12 minutes out. He'll pick us up curbside instead, and at reduced cost. 15 minutes passes. I call to ask what the car looks like just in case I'm at the wrong spot. Tells me black, and the license plate. Nope. Call back 10 minutes later. He says the driver has been there for over 10 minutes and cannot find me. He says he's left the car and is inside downstairs... I say "OK, but I can't see how he passed me at Southwest Airlines without me seeing him." I'm thinking to myself, "I don't SEE a downstairs here, but he knows Oakland Airport better than me." There are a few calls where he has the driver call me. I tell them exactly where I am, at the end of the SW airline terminal, and there is nothing past me, it's the end of the line, etc. Long story short, my plane got in at just before 10am, we were not picked up at 10:45, and something I said on the last phone call made the PHL guy say something that made me realize they might be at the wrong airport. I said, "you're at OAKLAND, right?" Pause. In the screw up they sent the guy rushing to the wrong airport. So he tells me to take a cab. I think he was still talking when I hung up (I was a little POed at this point).

In the cab we got stuck with (driver from middle east, car was running with at least one cylinder dragging, VERY rough, I was sure we were gonna have to call another cab to meet up on the highway, lol) I get a call. It's PHL. He's the good customer service. He told me he'd arranged for the doorman to pay the cab fare, and that our return to the airport was on them. When we left Thursday, the owner met us with the driver to make sure we were taken care of an apologized.

Very well played, I would use them again without hesitation. There are always things that can go wrong, and their proactive stance of making it better without me even asking was exactly the right behavior.

[Feuer Frei!]

Originally Posted by tater

In the cab we got stuck with (driver from middle east, car was running with at least one cylinder dragging,

interesting trip

[Gargamel]

Originally Posted by tater

Very well played, I would use them again without hesitation. There are always things that can go wrong, and their proactive stance of making it better without me even asking was exactly the right behavior.

Exactly the way to handle that situation. Even since they screwed up, the right handling of those situations will keep you as customer. In fact, bad experiences that were salvaged by good CS will create new customers, as I think some of us would be inclined to use that service now when we go to SF.

[Feuer Frei!]

Without drawing out the OT but...
word of mouth, best form of advertising.
Or the worst.
In this case it's good.

[TLAM Strike]

Originally Posted by privateer

As I stated, and Ducimus added to?
The Fossil Fuels and things derived from them?
Once gone, you are going to see a Blood Bath that makes Easter Island's history look like a picnic!

You may think it all just used for powering Tractors or Cars.
Think again!
Where is all your plastic going to come from once Oil is gone?
No plastic? We chop down trees.
(Shades of Easter Island's End!)
We'd be in a bad way for trees now if not for plastics!

Once the fossil fuels are nearly gone?
Look for the Nukes to fall!
Most likely Neutron Bombs.
(Won't want to corrupt land We're going to TAKE!)

Look for massive starvation in the Middle East at the same time.
(No need to Nuke them. They will starve to death and there's nothing left to take anyway. And without fuel? Ships can't sail with food to help.)

Power Plants shut down so no lights, TV, NOTHING!
Even your Cell Phone has become a brick!
(No power? No Cell Towers!)

You want a new religious movement?
This will bring one in a way that will make the Inquistion look like mere childs play.

OMG!!! we...we...we might have to start making our own fossil fuels...