In control

I am fascinated by something that happens in gemmak's-ville on an almost daily basis. A happening that displays dexterity, digit-al agility and impressive displays of the human ability to retain information of utmost importance and drag it from the depths of the mind at a moments notice. Proof if ever there was proof of mans ability to adapt and evolve.

And when I say 'mans ability' I mean just that, for I think the skill of which I talk is a 'man thang', something specific to the male of the species that we women have yet to hone.

The impressive skill of which I speak is of course the male 'domain' that is control of the television remote. It goes without saying that this little gadget will reside almost permanently in the palm of the male of the household from morning until night should the opportunity arise, and whilst I struggle like a fool to decide which button controls exactly which piece of equipment in the 'all wired together' array of in-home entertainment hardware, PG sits relaxed and apparently in a world of his own (a world incidentally into which the female voice does not penetrate), channel hopping to his hearts content.

What fascinates me about this male skill in gemmak's-ville specifically is that it is carried out blind, PG never looks at the keypad but instead his thumb races over the buttons switching from one option to another at lightening speed without ever looking at the damn thing. Said keypad is the standard 'Sky' control but ours is no longer in it's standard condition, it has been modified by excessive speed of use, to further confound myself in so much as it no longer sports any symbols on it's buttons....they have been obliterated by high speed thumb friction! This is most certainly not an aid when I struggle at a snails pace to find just one page on teletext. I am left like an idiot counting along the little buttons in an endeavor to find the correct digit whilst male impatience at my inability to operate this such simple device huffs and puffs in the background, just itching to snatch the beloved control from my grasp!

There is of course a silver lining to every cloud and in this case it is that I never get to see the ads. Ads? hell no, we don't watch ads, the two minute break used by the marketing guys to imprint on our minds items we will purchase the following day are not tolerated here, these breaks are of course provided so that the man of the house may catch up with the other eight channels he is currently watching!

This has to be a 'man thang'.....and then they wonder why we women sit all evening here in the world of the web! ;o)