# Poll: If only he had a Kindle



## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

If Burgess Meredith had only had a Kindle: He wouldn't have needed those glasses that shattered (size 6 font may have worked for him) and he would have been able to enjoy all those books. The Kindle would have made that a non-episode. Read the episode details below: 
*
Synopsis of the episode (borrowed from TV.com)* Sounds like us Kindle addicts...lol.

Mr. Bemis is a bank teller and loves to read. His wife despises his *reading addiction* and even tears up one of his books. Bemis' reading also gets him into trouble at work. He is so absorbed in his reading that he can't count out the proper amount of money for a customer. When called to the supervisor's office, he complains that he can't read at home. He had resorted to reading the label of the ketchup bottle but his wife even stopped him from doing that.

One day during his lunch break, he sneaks off to the bank vault to read the Charles Dickens novel "David Copperfield". Suddenly, a bomb blows up while he is inside. Once he recovers, he comes out of the vault to find that a nuclear war has taken place, everything is destroyed and he is the only survivor.

He searches through the rubble for signs of any other survivors. He finds no one but he does discover enough food to sustain him indefinitely. The boredom and loneliness begin to affect him, however. He discovers a revolver and plans to shoot himself in the head when he notices the sign marking the ruins of the public library. He is overjoyed to find that the books are still intact.

He finds the works of Shakespeare, George Bernard Shaw, Shelley, Keats and Browning. He piles up books to read each month for the years to come. He drops a book and bends over to pick it up. As he does so, he drops his glasses on the concrete steps. The lenses shatter. He is now unable to read the books, just when he had finally found the time to read them. He claims that "it's not fair!"


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

I never watched Twilight Zone.  I was more of a Howdy Doody kid.


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## Angela (Nov 2, 2008)

I remember this one! It was on reruns by the time my mom decided I was old enough to watch and I thought this episode was terribly sad! I felt so sorry for Bemis not being able to read.

Wasn't someone thinking about naming their Kindle Bemis??


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## Sailor (Nov 1, 2008)

My sister and I were talking about this on the Fourth of July Twilight Zone Marathon that we watch every year and this is our FAVORITE episode by far. LOVE it!

Or, if there were only a Kindle and the screen broke...'what an ending that would have been'.

Hey, the screen said I had a "fetching preview"


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## Guest (Nov 18, 2008)

> Question: Am I dating myself here?


Nothing wrong with dating one's self. Otherwise, I'd have been a virgin until I was in my twenties.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

I got glasses when I was 7 or 8 -- sometime in second grade, I'm sure -- and discovered that trees had actual leaves and weren't just big balls of green stuff on top of a brown stick.  On the way home with my first pair I was reading all the street signs, probably driving my mother crazy.  And I discovered that books were a lot easier to read when you didn't need to hold them 2 inches from your face!  The rest is, as they say, history.

Anyway, when I saw that episode I totally felt for the poor man.  Vowed then and there that when they figured out how to fix eyes surgically I'd do it. . . .and I did.  Had LASIK about 10 years ago and it's been great.  I am, of course, now of an age where the reading glasses are required. . . but 10 dollar lenses from the drug store sure beats $250 for prescription lenses (with the bifocals I'd have needed)!  Oh, and, on the way home from the surgery, I was reading all the street signs and license plates WITHOUT GLASSES and driving my husband crazy.   

Ann


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## Angela (Nov 2, 2008)

Bacardi Jim said:


> Nothing wrong with dating one's self. Otherwise, I'd have been a virgin until I was in my twenties.


LOL... you are strange little man... lol hehe


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

I have seen it a bunch of times.  The first time; I was just dating my husband; so it had to be close to 30 years ago... I remember saying to him; that is the saddest thing I've ever seen, if it were me and I couldn't read, I would have wished to blow up with the rest of 'em.  

That episode made such a lasting impression on me.  I would be devastated if I couldn't read.  I do think the Kindle has helped so many who couldn't or had difficulty reading.  Our very own Teninx's lovely wife for example.


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

Ann Von Hagel:  Wow...do you by any chance watch Grey's Anatomy?  You just described an exact scene in an episode from 2 weeks ago.  Dr. Hahn said she didn't know what leaves were and she just saw trees as fuzzy green blobs on brown things.  Wow!!! coincidence?

Glad you can see all things more clearly.  Medical advances are a wonderful thing.


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## Guest (Nov 18, 2008)

Angela said:


> LOL... you are strange *little* man... lol hehe


Has LR been posting naughty pics of me?


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## Angela (Nov 2, 2008)

sjc said:


> Ann Von Hagel: Wow...do you by any chance watch Grey's Anatomy? You just described an exact scene in an episode from 2 weeks ago. Dr. Hahn said she didn't know what leaves were and she just saw trees as fuzzy green blobs on brown things. Wow!!! coincidence?


I saw that one... and it reminded me of when my son got his first pair of glasses and I watched his face as he discovered there were leaves on trees and many other things he had never seen... broke my heart!!


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## Angela (Nov 2, 2008)

Bacardi Jim said:


> Has LR been posting naughty pics of me?


LOL... oh please nnnooooo.... lol


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

Bacardi Jim:  I think you took quickfics place while he was away...lol.  So...do you remember the episode or is your virginity an avoidance tactic...lol.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

sjc said:


> Ann Von Hagel: Wow...do you by any chance watch Grey's Anatomy? You just described an exact scene in an episode from 2 weeks ago. Dr. Hahn said she didn't know what leaves were and she just saw trees as fuzzy green blobs on brown things. Wow!!! coincidence?


What??!! No. I don't . . . .but I'm gonna sue! I've been telling that story for _YEARS_. Somebody owes me money!!!



But, seriously, I've heard it also from many friends who were severely nearsighted and got glasses as a young child. Probably one of the writers had the same experience! 

Ann


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## Guest (Nov 18, 2008)

sjc said:


> Bacardi Jim: I think you took quickfics place while he was away...lol. So...do you remember the episode or is your virginity an avoidance tactic...lol.


Oh, I remember it well! I loved Friday nights as a kid because I could watch _Night Gallery_ and then stay up late and watch back-to-back episodes of _Twilight Zone_ after the 10:00 news.


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## Teninx (Oct 27, 2008)

The episode is titled "All The Time In The World".


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

Night Gallery and Dark Shadows.  Don't tell me you like lost in space, I couldn't stand that dumb fool Mr. Dr. whatever Smith...my brother drove me crazy with that show.  You seem more like a "Love American Style" type...lol.


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## Guest (Nov 18, 2008)

_Lost in Space_ was too dopey for me even at age eight.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Teninx said:


> The episode is titled "All The Time In The World".


Begging your pardon, sir, but I believe it was "Time Enough at Last"

Which I only know because I googled it to see if it was available on line. Doesn't appear to be, at least not legally, but DVD's are avialable:










Oh! and in an unrelated news flash: Christopher Lloyd's home was destroyed in the fires near Santa Barbara! (Think _Back to the Future_)

Ann


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## Angela (Nov 2, 2008)

Ann Von Hagel said:


> Oh! and in an unrelated news flash: Christopher Lloyd's home was destroyed in the fires near Santa Barbara! (Think _Back to the Future_)
> 
> Ann


I saw that on the news earlier... very sad!


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## Cowgirl (Nov 1, 2008)

When I was growing upThe Twilight Zone freaked me out!!!


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Ann Von Hagel said:


> Oh! and in an unrelated news flash: Christopher Lloyd's home was destroyed in the fires near Santa Barbara! (Think _Back to the Future_)
> 
> Ann


Noooo. Not the man who invented the Flux Capacitor! Hopefully, he saved the blueprints and patents.

That is sad.


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## Teninx (Oct 27, 2008)

Ann, I stand corrected. And I suspect you made a typo; it's "Time Enough At Last'."

Wasn't Burgess in that silly Penguin suit at the end?


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Teninx said:


> Ann, I stand corrected. And I suspect you made a typo; it's "Time Enough At Last'."


Prepositions are a pain! Thanks for the catch: I fixed it.
(for those reading _after _the fix, I'd inadvertently substituted the word to for the word at)

Ann


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

Back to the Future:  My son can recite every single word to to those movies (1,2 and 3).  He and my husband have watched them more times than I can count. We felt badly about the house; surprised my son doesn't invite him to live with us...

We have all 3 on dvd and the ENTIRE twilight zone series.


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

I thought Burgess Meredith was a hoot in the "outtakes" from the movie Grumpy Old Men.


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## Guest (Nov 18, 2008)

sjc said:


> I thought Burgess Meredith was a hoot in the "outtakes" from the movie Grumpy Old Men.


Absolutely!!!


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

You all are soooo bad...

Betsy


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

Betsy:  That's why you love us.  Just think of how booooorrrrring these boards would be without our banter.  You've thrown in a few good ones yourself Missy!!...lol.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

"Who, me?" she said innocently.

Betsy


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

Betsy:  The breeze from your fluttering eyelashes is knocking me out of my chair.


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## Figment (Oct 27, 2008)

Angela said:


> I remember this one! It was on reruns by the time my mom decided I was old enough to watch and I thought this episode was terribly sad! I felt so sorry for Bemis not being able to read.
> 
> Wasn't someone thinking about naming their Kindle Bemis??


Actually, my Kindle is named Bemis (Bemis Dink), because of this very episode.


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## Guest (Nov 18, 2008)

Did I merely imagine the post above this one?


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## Angela (Nov 2, 2008)

Figment said:


> Actually, my Kindle is named Bemis (Bemis Dink), because of this very episode.


I knew that it wasn't a figment of my imagination!! It was Figment!! hehe


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## tc (Oct 29, 2008)

That episode was in the first season.  It is hard to say that was my favorite because I love that whole series.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

sjc said:


> I thought Burgess Meredith was a hoot in the "outtakes" from the movie Grumpy Old Men.


I've heard that everytime he shot that scene he came up with a new one and they never knew what he was going to say, so they put them in the outtakes...hysterical

Betsy


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

tc:  We have the definitive collection and we still watch the marathon on New Years Eve.  

RE: Twilight Zone
When my son was young he HATED the Talking Tina episode:  While we were watching it on the marathon...He went to the bathroom (I have this old life sized doll from when I was a kid) we (my husband) propped the doll against the bathroom door so when my son opened it she fell in on him.  He screamed blue bloody murder.  Then we felt bad because he started to cry and his heart was pouncing.  He was mad at us for weeks.

Betsy:  I nearly pis_ed my pants the first time I saw those Grumpy Old Men Burgess Meredith outtakes.


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## Angela (Nov 2, 2008)

sjc said:


> tc: We have the definitive collection and we still watch the marathon on New Years Eve.
> 
> RE: Twilight Zone
> When my son was young he HATED the Talking Tina episode: While we were watching it on the marathon...He went to the bathroom (I have this old life sized doll from when I was a kid) we (my husband) propped the doll against the bathroom door so when my son opened it she fell in on him. He screamed blue bloody murder. Then we felt bad because he started to cry and his heart was pouncing. He was mad at us for weeks.
> ...


aaawwww.... poor kid!! lol


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

In retrospect, I do feel horrible...it was mean.  He's over it now that he's 18; but he's always looking for payback.  Whenever he does something to one of us; he says, "remember Talking Tina?"


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

sjc said:


> tc: We have the definitive collection and we still watch the marathon on New Years Eve.
> 
> RE: Twilight Zone
> When my son was young he HATED the Talking Tina episode: While we were watching it on the marathon...He went to the bathroom (I have this old life sized doll from when I was a kid) we (my husband) propped the doll against the bathroom door so when my son opened it she fell in on him. He screamed blue bloody murder. Then we felt bad because he started to cry and his heart was pouncing. He was mad at us for weeks.


Line from _Sleepless in Seattle... _"Great, now you'll have something to tell Oprah when you grow up." LOL!

Betsy


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## Cuechick (Oct 28, 2008)

It is actually posted on youtube (isn't everything) for those of you who have not seen it or just want to see it again. It is one of my all time favorites... it is broken up into 3 parts...

Here is the first and you should be able to find the other two in the box next to it...


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

Octochick:  Awesome!! Thanks.  Guys...watch it if you have time; such a great episode.


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

Figment said:


> Actually, my Kindle is named Bemis (Bemis Dink), because of this very episode.


I knew there was someone who named her Kindle Bemis! Thanks, Figment.

L


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## Teninx (Oct 27, 2008)

Let's start a thread on the Amazon boards: "Will my Kindle work during nuclear war?"


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## Guest (Nov 18, 2008)

When I saw that episode, and his glasses broke, I thought what would I do.  Well, I'd stumble around until I found a working magnifying glass or some reading glasses somewhere.  

Once that was done, I'd be a happy camper!  sure I'd miss everyone for a week or so but hey I have unlimited food, lots of books and no IRS to bother me.. it's good.


Depending on the thickness of the vault and the type of weapon used, I think a Kindle may be able to survive the EMP generated from the initial explosion.

EMP is electtro- magnetic pulse generated by a nuclear blast.  It will fry unshielded electronic devices.  Anything with a chip or printed circuit will be rendered useless.  

Hard wired, prechipped devices should work fine if a power source can be found.  

Shielded devices or items stored in Faraday cages will be fine.


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

Teninx said:


> Let's start a thread on the Amazon boards: "Will my Kindle work during nuclear war?"


Hahahahah....


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## Chad Winters (Oct 28, 2008)

Of course....Whispernet won't work in a Faraday cage


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## hazeldazel (Oct 30, 2008)

i remember it well but it was a little before my time (I was born in 1969).  However my DH is a Twit Zone fanatic, so I get to watch the episodes whether I want to or not.  

"It's just not fair!"


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## tc (Oct 29, 2008)

hazeldazel said:


> i remember it well but it was a little before my time (I was born in 1969). However my DH is a Twit Zone fanatic, so I get to watch the episodes whether I want to or not.
> 
> "It's just not fair!"


In our family I am the TZ fanatic. Hubby and the boys have watched it because TZ was all that I would watch when it was on.


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

tc:  It was a great show; that and Alfred Hitchcock...those twisty turny endings.  (P.S. love your avatar)


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## Teninx (Oct 27, 2008)

Remember "Thriller"? If I remember correctly, Boris Karloff hosted. Even the title scene of white curtains blowing in the dark room scared me.


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

The original Psycho:  Everyone took a shower with the curtain 1/2 open after that.

Wait Until Dark:  Audrey (I love her) Hepburn:  The scene where you thought Alan Arkin was dead and he lurched forward and grabbed her


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## Guest (Nov 19, 2008)

They don't really make stuff like that anymore and it's sad.  Today it's all blood spray gore and guts.  I don't like that at all.


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## Angela (Nov 2, 2008)

sjc said:


> Wait Until Dark: Audrey (I love her) Hepburn: The scene where you thought Alan Arkin was dead and he lurched forward and grabbed her


OMG... I was in 7th grade when they showed that movie at my school and I almost jumped over the back of my seat into the row behind me when that happened!! lol


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## Geemont (Nov 18, 2008)

You can watch the full episode here: Time Enough At Last

You must turn off ad blocking to watch. If you dare. (Turn off ad blocking, that is.)


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## Guest (Nov 19, 2008)

I watched it and it was as good as ever.  Anyone find it painful to see his wife tear up the books she defaced?  I yelled "BLASPHEMY!" at her.  To deface a book, or destroy one, no matter how crappy it may be is just so wrong!


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## Vegas_Asian (Nov 2, 2008)

I watched it in one of my middle school classes. My teacher showed up a lot of Twilight Zone shows. I think my teacher used it to teach us about the term irony. I don't recall exactly....


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

Angela:  I'm with you, I jumped out of my skin.  I love Audrey Hepburn.  That scene in My Fair Lady at the races "Dover, move your bloomin' arse!!"


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

I do have to mention another great movie:  The Shawshank Redemption...Morgan Freeman really chooses his roles well.  I love most movies he is in.


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