I suppose this should be 2 threads, but it was fun to use the title.

I wonder why so many people have serious problems specifying, dealing with and keeping track of time.

My wife recently needed to use the computer "for 5 minutes", so I interrupted what I was doing and said "sure". It was 15-20 minutes before she was finished. I have friends, both RT and online who say, "I'll be there about 3" or "in an hour" and miss it by 174%.
   I realize that it is impossible to predict exactly how long some things will take, and allowances MUST be made, but it seems that most folks underestimate time by a LOT.
   I especially don't comprehend those who say "Come to my party; it starts at 7."...and then are not nearly ready when I arrive at 7:15. What IS the secret formula, so you don't feel dumb and awkward?
   I don't mind adjusting to whatever schedule is reasonable, I just want folks to be honest about how long or what time makes sense.
Many years ago, when I entered Middle school and move between rooms rather than sit in one room all day, I started counting so I could tell whether I had time to stop at my locker and not be late to class, and I time my regular drives, so I know 'about' how long(depending on traffic) it will take to make a trip....and when I say I want to leave at 4, I include in my planning the time to get hat and coat, make one more bathroom stop, grab a drink, get downstairs, and warm up the car! I try not to be anal retentive about it, but I feel silly standing with my coat on, waiting 10-20 minutes.

I know people who are simply NEVER on time for anything except for plane flights...and they cut THAT pretty close.

I actually wonder if there might be something in the brain wiring that cannot cope with time.


But about space...*grin*

I recently bought an external hard drive for the computer...250 gigabytes!Wow...huge! My internal drive is 'only' 160! And 10 years ago, the entire PC with operating system and all, was only 600 MEGABYTES!
Now, yesterday, I get an ad for a deal on a new external drive from the same company...for $674, they will sell me a 1 TERABYTE drive!
...and Max says there is no real problem keeping the entire history of the Mudcat forum....probably forever.
   I see...sorta...why technology can do this sort of thing, but it does boggle the mind just what the implications are....and what a shock it would be if something happened to destroy this ability after we have based a lot of our lives on it....Take the idea of crashing your HD with no backup, and imagine that happening on some much larger scale. I already see warnings that THIS is how we may be attacked by some enemy in the future.....scary.