We stayed in the Latchis Hotel in Brattleboro, Vt. Thanksgiving night. The town was completely deserted, we had reservations for the only restaurant in town that was serving dinner. Brattleboro was a ghost down. We love the Latchis, it is a funky and rock-solid art deco hotel in the middle of the hotel.
The hotel and theater were both built by a Greek immigrant family, and the murals and paintings around the theater are all centered on Greek drama and mythology.
We saw “Coco,” the new sappy but gorgeously animated ode to family, I am not sure I’ve ever seen a more beautiful animated film.
Maria and I were both turned off by the movie’s persisted touting of the idea that family is essential in life, and that we must always love our families no matter what they do to us or how we feel about them, or whether or not they support us in our lives.
More than half of the people I know and talk to dread the holidays, many have enormous problems with families, and it seems cruel to suggest that all families are ultimately happy and loving, and more important than anything else on the earth.
Maria and I both survived, in part, because we got away from our families. That’s why we go away on holidays as often as we can.
We love to go the Latchis, where comfortable rooms with views of the mountains and the Brattleboro downtown can run as low as $120. And the hotel architecture is amazing. The Latchis fell on hard times a while back, it has been loving restored.
I know there are many loving and happy families, and that makes me happy.
But there are many unhappy, failed and dysfunctional families, and one day Disney might grace itself and us by making a movie that tells the whole truth about families, not just the marketing-a-movie family.
Coco’s life is nearly destroyed by his oblivious and hysterical family, yet the message of the film is that our families love us dearly and all is forgiven in the end. I feel badly for those children who see movies like that and wonder why their families are never in them.
We had a great time in Brattleboro, but I am sorry that the ghosts of our families come to haunt us, even there. Disney has finally come to see that women need to be portrayed different in the movies, they are no longer trembling stereotypes in crowns.
Perhaps one day, they will respect the true family in the same way. Our culture is changing in many ways, we can stop pretending that the family – itself changing in radical ways – is always a happy and loving place.
I liked the movie a lot, and I loved the theater. I am in awe of a world that took the trouble and spent the money to paint those murals on the walls of a movie in Southern Vermont.
I received my Iphone X today, trembling a bit over the cost and the challenge of a different kind of Iphone, the only kind of phone I have ever used, and one which helps me navigate a substantial part of my life.
For much of my work, I am dependent on it.
I promised I would share the process with you, as many are considering this phone and wondering if they should undertake the cost – $1,000 plus some necessary accessories – and whether it is worth it to them.
FIrst off, the phone is exciting, and yes, quite different from other Iphones. I won’t go into all of the technical details, you can get those elsewhere from more qualified people. I wan to write about the experience of having the phone, not the specs.
I was excited about the phone, and have been saving up for it for months.
Steve Jobs long ago persuaded me that some Apple devices are essential tools for creative people. Every creative device has altered my work, and challenged me to think. That’s the think, I think, about the X phone, it is an excellent and versatile smart phone, but it will challenge you to think.
I want to think, I don’t ever want to get stale and stuck. It’s the first death.
That has been true of me and my work- a smartphone is essential, it is not a toy for me. I take photos, videos, communicate and research. I don’t game and rarely text or download apps, the phone is a utility device for me. It is also a reference tool, a diary, a reminder, and as complex communications system.
I should say the differences between this phone and the other Iphones I have used are substantial, not cosmetic, mostly for what the phone can do, how fast and beautiful and powerful it is. The device works differently and is organized and navigated differently. I got the phone at 2 p.m. and was on the phone with Apple tech support three times in the first two hours.
This was no surprise, I had blocked out the time and quieted my mind. I was nervous, I knew what I was in for.
The set- up process – you are supposed to just place the new phone next to the old one and all the data will migrate magically. It did not, of course and the very kind and patient Apple support person said many people were having that problem. So I set up the phone manually.
I’m a lifelong Apple user, but I know they often do things because they are cool, not just necessary. The Iphone X had the geeks crazy, and many reviewers were nearly hysterical about bevels, notches, and swipes.
I was nervous and the process was nerve-wracking. The Apple people were gracious and patient. I couldn’t text, my messages had all disappeared, the famed Face ID wouldn’t turn on, the talking Emojis wouldn’t talk, I couldn’t delete the many Apps that mysteriously been downloaded from ICloud.
All of the problem were quickly resolved, as I expected they would be, and by 7 p.m. I had gotten Face ID to work, learned how to delete apps (never described), and send Maria an emoji with my facial expressions morphed into an Emoji fox, courtesy of facial recognition technology.
For people like me, and many of you, I suspect, this is not a phone you just turn on and use. You do have to learn a few things and think about it.
Once again, t his is not necessary if you a grown-up to be the face of a cartoon emoji dog, but I my not yet be a fully grown adult, I love the Emojis and sent them to almost everyone I knew.
I could actually use the phone by dinner.
All of the hype about the phone being complex and alien were, of course, overblown. I always anticipate problems when one gets a new technical device, a lot of data is being transferred. What is special about Apple is that they provide wonderful support, and quickly. I never feel dumb calling them.
I called three times, and was on the phone with a support person within a minute each time. I knew this would take a couple of hours and it did.
I am glad that bumpy start is over.
As I look at this phone and use it, I am dazzled by it. It is beautiful, really not that difficult to use, powerful and quick. I like the fact that it asks me to think differently – no power button, almost everything is done differently, with different swipes from different directions.
I like the fact that it is very different from the other Iphones. I will have to pay attention.
I do not want to fall behind in my technology, it is essential to my work, to my books and my blog. And the bank apps have enabled me to keep track of my money and manage my life.
But 8 p.m., I wasn’t even thinking about the new swipes and movements, I was just doing them. I am excited by this phone.
The Face ID is working now, and quickly and reliably.It’s pretty wild, I just look into the center and the phone opens up.
I’ve never seen color and detail on any computing device to match the Iphone X (I watched Netflix a bit to check it out). It is quite astonishing, a huge leap forward, a different experience. Rich color and detail unlike anything I’ve seen. I feel like I’ve crossed a bridge into the future.
From the first night, I happily recommend this phone. It is an amazing big of technology, and I think we sometimes take it for granted.
The X is actually smaller than the plus phones, but it has a wider screen. I will no longer be using the Ipad. I plan to give it to a friend who wants one.
I would caution people who get it that the first couple of hours will be intense and absorbing. Don’t be afraid or panic. Nothing was lost, no harm was done.
You just have to get your head on right, you may well need to call for help, and there is help to call. Apple stands by its stuff. But new devices this complex will take some time to get used to, they will not all work magically in every way from the start.
I should say that Maria bought the Iphone 8 plus recently, it is also an essential work tool for her – she hates to talk on the phone. It’s a wonderful phone, and you really can just turn it on and use it in seconds. It does almost everything the Iphone X does but it is not a phone of the future but a phone for now perhaps the last of this generation of smart phones.
She makes it possible for her to take her popular photographs and videos and market her art. We could not live where we live and do what we do without these devices. There are just not enough people in our town to support us, our phones – and blogs – reach out to them and invite them into our lives.
The Iphone is for people who want to take a bit of a ride into the future. It’s exciting I’ve been reading the reviews for days to get ready. It didn’t help much when the shit hit the fan.
It doesn’t seem to me that everyone must have one or would suffer in any way from a recent earlier model. But I already love man and am eager to explore it.
Technology is always a trade-off. Apple has spoiled me, I don’t expect complications and bumps to be too serious. And tonight, they weren’t.
They are a small price to pay for this plunge into the next thing, the biggest change in smartphone technology that I can recall in my lifetime. I want to be a part of that. For us, technology is about creativity period. I certainly wish it was cheaper, but when I used it, I marvel that a machine like that cold cost so little.
I’ve been doing this for years, I knew I’d be on the phone with Apple a few times, and I remained calm and patient. I actually had fun figuring this out and am proud of myself for taking it on. I never thought of giving up or returning the phone. I don’t regret getting it for a second.
So now I’m having fun exploring this new thing, and stretching my mine a bit. It’s only been a few hours, they were bumpy but are quite manageable. I think by Monday or Tuesday I’ll be very happy. Maybe even tomorrow.
Is it worth it? Yes, I think for people who need or wish to understand technology and use it to help manage and organize life. I think it’s the best Apple product I’ve ever used, and that goes back about 35 years.
I meet people all the time who are proud of resisting new technology, and staying still in that way. I respect them, but see no glory in being a Luddite. I want to keep up with the world, not always easy from my small farm. The smartphone has helped me grow and be informed.
I want to be a part of the great dance, not just a clucking observer. I am getting older, and I don’t wish to fall out of step or out of sync with the tools I need for my life.
So I’ll have a clearer sense of this phone over the weekend. I’ll share.
We got home from our one-night Thanksgiving trek mid-afternoon, and as farmers and dog lovers know, nothing brings one back to reality than scraping manure off of a shoe. Maria is expert at this she can stand like a Heron on one foot.
I’ve been setting up my new Iphone X ever since, and once I get a few things straightened out, I will report a report (tonight) as promised. Hope everyone had a great holiday.
