Thursday, May 31, 2012

Remotely Speaking

 
You can see the look on 15 month old Ella's face when she spotted the remote, and now it is hers. And that look says " Don't come a step closer, it's mine now!" Even as a baby, she knew a good thing when she saw it. Anne Marie couldn't quite get the hang of pronouncing the name, thus it was the MOROTE. Why am focusing on the remote control today? Because Eugene J. Polley just died earlier this month at 96 years of age. A moment of silence if you please. Mr. Polley was the inventor of the T.V. remote control. Many of you are too young to remember that we used to have to actually get up to turn a dial when we wanted the channel changed. And while we were there, we usually had to adjust the horizontal hold and fine tuning as well. Mr. Polley was an engineer with Zenith and in 1950 they released the first remote which was attached to the set by a cord. We've come a long way since then, and maybe not all for the best. In an interview, Mr. Polley once referenced to the fact of us becoming fat and flabby because of remotes. Perhaps it has made us lazy, all settled snugly on the couch with a snack, not having to get up till we have to go to the bathroom, but what a way to go! R.I.P, Eugene J. Polley


“Some people dig a fork into the pie
but are too lazy to raise it to their mouth.”
Proverbs 19

22 comments:

Karin said...

Oh, and the fun hubby has channel surfing when he is in control of the remote! -

Little Ella is such a cutie! Interesting fact about the remote - thanks for sharing!

FilipBlog said...

When I read this, I am surprised I didn't know the name of the inventor of the TV. Excellent new header picture.

Greetings,
Filip

Unknown said...

Ella is so adorable!

Unknown said...

Ella is so cute!

Reanaclaire said...

Oh, I didnt know that... thanks for the information..indeed he should be remembered for inventing the remote for making life easier for us all...

SquirrelQueen said...

When I first scrolled down Ginny I thought maybe Ella had a baby sister. Ella is a doll at any age.

Some one mentioned channel surfing. Way back when Mr. Polley invented the remote we had only a few channels so surfing wasn't much of an activity. When I was a little kid my parents thought I was the remote, they were always getting me to change the channel. :)

Alice said...

I remember remotelessness:)

MadSnapper said...

i must say i have never had trouble raising my fork to my mouth. THH
we did not get a remote on a TV until 1980. and then it did not always work. but i would be lost without the one that works our cable DVR.... i love that remote. and sadly the one on the 15 year old TV in the bedroom, no longer turns the TV on and off, once its own it works but, we have to MANUALLY turn it on and off. woe is me.

DawnTreader said...

I had no idea there was one special inventor behind the remote control. I beat Sandra, I didn't get my first remote control. Until then I had an old black-and-white TV without remote!

Now I have six remote controls on my living room table. Probably proof that I'm still behind my time!

And oh... in Swedish, "morot" means carrot!

Ruth Hiebert said...

well,I learned something new today. I had no idea who invented the remote. I guess life would just not be the same without them everywhere.

Marie said...

Ella is adorable! I didn't know anything about Mr.Polley inventing the remote control. Very interesting post!

Ann, Chen Jie Xue ι™ˆζ΄ι›ͺ said...

My husband is forever grateful to Mr. Polley. Without Mr. Polley, another fellow engineer, he would be bored still because he can't flick the channels, but I will be very happy. I am contented to sit through the ads. The trouble with the husband is he turns over the station, ans then forgets to change it back. LOL

Ann, Chen Jie Xue ι™ˆζ΄ι›ͺ said...

I simply love your header. You got me staring, " What kind of flower is that?" until I realise is part of the flower, sunflower? It is Queen's birthday weekend, it is Sat, but guess what, I am up sitting at the computer!!!! My mum used to say, if you were so enthusiastic when come to studying, you would be very successful

Ann said...

I didn't know that the remote has been around that long. I know we never had one when I was growing up. We didn't even have a color tv until I was in my teens.

S. Etole said...

What a little cutie ...

Chatty Crone said...

Gosh - I learned something I didn't know even at 10pm in the evening. Loved that. sandie

LC said...

Thanks for this bit of knowledge about someone whose work impacts my life (I'm embarrassed to say) nearly every single day!

Loved that header photo, too.

George said...

Those are adorable pictures of Ella. It seems so long ago that we actually had to get up to change the channel. I guess that just shows how old I am.

Anonymous said...

I didn't know who invented the remote. Glad I do now. Ella looks like an angel. Reading about her with the remote reminded me of my boys when they first started handling the remote!

Unknown said...

What a unique and gorgeous looking flower and how fun to know the history now! I have always loved that Scripture pointing to the birthplace of Christ - thanks Ginny!

momto8 said...

that is a fun picture of her holding the remote! I tell my kids stories of pre remote days...they cannot even imagine...

Lynn said...

Each time one of the younger grands are here, hubby has to readjust the remote! They love to play with the buttons. Of course, growing up in a "techie" world as my grands are, things like remotes are a given. Do you remember "rabbit ears" on top of the tv? Personally, I find remotes annonying, old fashion me, I have no desire to flip around to see what I am missing elsewhere. Except.....when the finales of the shows we watch were on and our Tampa Bay Rays were also playing that night on TV, hehe, then we did love the remote to keep checking the score! RIP Mr Polley.

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