More Complications 03/14/25

Ain’t technology grand? In order to stream a show on say, MAX, I first grab my “skinny remote” to turn on the tv and I get all the cable and network channels. Then I grab my iPad, access a program called “Compass Control” whereupon my screen (iPad screen, not tv screen) gives me the option of “living room, bedroom, guest room or, drumroll please, Apple TV. Not Apple TV +, the streaming channel, but just plain old Apple TV, which then connects me to all my streaming options. I now scroll down the tv screen (not the iPad screen) using my iPad until I find MAX, which used to be called HBO which then became HBO MAX, don’t ask. A funny side story, in the late 1990’s I was the creative director for the HBO account. I met the head of programming who told me she thought they should switch from showing just movies to creating their own programming. I told her, “I don’t think that’s a good idea. People come to HBO for movies.” Which is part of the reason I’m now writing comic strips instead of ads.

But I digress. Once I highlight the streaming service I want (in this case MAX,) I highlight it and then search through the programming options until I find “White Lotus” and then hit the round button in the middle on my iPad screen so that my tv screen finally shows the program my wife and I were trying to watch. Is that clear?

I didn’t think so. Now it’s one thing to order a streaming movie or tv program. I kind of expect that to be complex. But it’s another thing to make ordering an iced coffee a complex process. Not fair. A couple blocks from where I live is a strip mall with a McDonald’s restaurant as well as a Dunkin’ shop. I was in a rush and wanted an iced coffee and went into McDonald’s. Nobody at the register. Just a bunch of electronic kiosks. They happen to have two options for drinks: Beverages, which as it turns out do not include coffee, iced or otherwise and McCafe Coffees. Here, they have iced coffee. They have milk, they have caramel, they have Iced French Vanilla, or Iced Sugar Free Vanilla (apparently not French) but no half and half, which is the way I like it, with one stevia. John found my pain at trying to order a simple drink very amusing and we turned it into this week’s two part series. Dunkin’ is a little easier because they have actual people take your order. But just up the hill is an independent place with free wifi called Muddy Waters. From now on, I’m going there.

That is all for this week. We’ll be back next week with a two-part series on marriage advice. We ask that you read it but not necessarily follow it. Enjoy the weekend. Spring is springing through,

Andy and John