Recently in Nomophobia Category

We're halfway through hands-free Tuesday and cell phone users ignoring the new law are apparently plentiful.

I know I saw at least two people talking on the phone this a.m. on my way in. Both had something in common: both were women and both were driving slow and I was stuck behind 'em.

We've had reporters and photogs out in the field doing ride-alongs and they've seen some interesting stuff today.

KFI reporter Shannon Farren said she spotted nine people using their cell phones westbound on the 10 between downton and the 405 this morning. One was using the phone and smoking.

*As for now, I'm suffering through an extreme case of nomophobia.

Here's the photo caption:

Here's California Highway Patrol officer Joe Zizi from the Santa Fe Springs CHP office gives a citation to a female on Rose Hills Road in Whittier for Hands-Free Cell Phone violation on July 1, 2008.  Today is the first day the law goes into effect.  The La Habra woman, who did not want to give her name, said she had been working too long and forgot about the new law. (Raul Roa) 

 

I took a small break from blogging here over the past couple of days. I must say it was refreshing. I haven' t even used a computer since Thursday.

AND, I stayed away from newspapers, television news, conversations about politics and ...you get the picture.

Unfortunately there was little time to relax. I went to a father's day party in my son's kindergarden class; got a cracked molar crowned (temporarily); attended a niece's graduation party; dropped my Mother-in-law off at the Mission for a jubilee Mass; took my boys to Urban Outfitters in Old Pas; played gigs with my band Saturday night and Sunday morning; barbecued Sunday night; watched the Lakers; Watched the US Open playoff today...Whew

It's nice to be back.....

Some pointy-headed poindexter in Great Britain came up with this one, it's called Nomophobia. Simply put it's the fear of being without your mobile telephone for any length of time.

I apparently suffer from this disease. Although I'll confess that when I first saw the term I assumed it applied to fantasy baseball managers thinking about drafting a certain (non) starting pitcher who's attempting a comeback with the Kansas City Royals.

It actually had nothing to do with Hideo Nomo, so there's still no word in the language to cover those fantasy sports sickos who will do anything to get a post draft bargain.

Nomo's apparently hurt anyway with a pulled groin muscle that will keep him on the bench for a few weeks.

But I digress.

Here's a snippet from the AFP about true nomophobia:

Some 58 percent of men and 48 percent of women panic when they hit a problem with their cellphone, while nine percent of people feel stressed when they turn their mobiles off, it said.

Pollsters YouGov, commissioned by the Post Office, questioned 2,163 people online earlier this month.

Stewart Fox-Mills, head of telephony at the Post Office, said "nomo-phobia" -- which he used to mean a fear of being without a mobile phone -- was "very real for many people in the UK".