The other day I wrote about cellular phone coverage.

It wasn't long ago that cell phones were only capable of making basic "Hello, Joe. What do you know?"type of calls.

Next there was the ability of making text messages until the technology companies decided to add more capabilities to the things and hooked them up to the internet and then all hell broke loose with the various apps and other doo-dads and dohickeys that grace the now smart phones.

While I suppose there are a few people out there that use various features of these phones, I would imagine that the average person generally makes basic calls, sometimes texts and sends a friend or loved one an occasional picture.

That's about all I do with my phone even though I can access my email and do a bunch of other things. I would imagine there are a lot of people that do the same things I do with theirs.

These days I see a lot of young children running around with the latest cell technology that costs hundreds.

I will cheerfully admit that the kids today take to the modern technology like a duck does to water. A lot of kids know how to use just about every smart phone feature out there. I don't.

Still, this technology is pretty expensive and a lot of parents out there are sending their kids out the door with a lot of expensive technology the kids really don't need.

A parent I was talking to said their children have plans that run about $175/month, times four for each of their four kids. Adding the same $175 to both of the parents and you have a bill for $1050/month which is enough for a modest house payment in parts of the country.

It makes little sense to me, especially when the kids are older and could get off their asses and find a part time job to finance their own technology.

I suppose there are a lot of young people that wouldn't want me to be their dad because I wouldn't put up with a wholle lot of the demands kids seem to put on their parents these days.

If I deemed it a good idea to issue my children cellular communications they would likely get handed $20 basic cell phones and a limited phone/text only plan similar to the one Walmart sells for about $30/month. Good enough for the old man, good enough for them.

I see a lot of kids being handed a lot at an early age and it strikes me that they don't understand that things are not free.

On the other hand there's the kid across the street that is praying for snow because I hired him to keep the driveway clear for me when I am out of town. Neither Mrs. Pic nor I are spring chickens anymore.

A while back he wanted a $300 iPod or something and his dad told him to earn it. He promptly trooped over the Piccolo residence and said he was available for various jobs for a reasonable rate.

I have put him to work a few times and he does a pretty good job. He's a pretty good weeder and helped me out weeding last summer.

I don't know what else the kid has done but I heard he got his iPod, which is fine because he earned it.

A few times when the Mrs and I have been out of town he'd be guardian of the family cat and gets along pretty well with the little guy. My recon sources tell me he spends more time with the little guy than he bills me for which I sort of expected. Kids like that go the full mile.

It's going to be interesting in four or five years when he wants a car. Generally kids like that wind up on the road shortly after they get their license because they have learned frugality and the value of hard work.



To find out why the blog is pink just cut and paste this: http://piccoloshash.blogspot.com/2009/12/my-feminine-side-blog-stays-pink.html NO ANIMALS WERE HARMED IN THE WRITING OF TODAY'S ESSAY