Why use a basic phone?

April 27, 2025Leave a comment

Basic cell phones were all the rage in the 2000s, as we all know. Back in 2002, who didn’t have a black Nokia 5180 (also known as the “Nokia brick”)? Even those folks who did not have one were familiar with the then-ubiquitous “Nokia tune.”

In the middle part of that decade, the basic phone known as the flip phone became popular. People had something more compact that fit nicely in their pockets and purses. The screens had bright, beautiful colors instead of the creamed-spinach-like monochrome. Their ringtones sounded much nicer, too—no more annoying musical beeps when the phone signaled an incoming call.

Then the iPhone exploded onto the telecommunications scene in 2007, followed by Android smartphones. People could text easily with a virtual keyboard, go on the internet (lowercased “i” according to CMOS 18), read their email, and download apps and music. Whee! As I recall, by 2011, the vast majority of Americans had some kind of smartphone.

Do you ever see anybody with a basic phone anymore?

I do…every once in a blue moon.

I believe the last time I saw somebody with a basic phone was in the waiting room of the ER where my father was hospitalized with pneumonia last February. The person with the basic phone was an older man, probably in his 60s or maybe even his 70s.

“Why would anyone still want a basic phone?” you might ask.

There are reasons, believe it or not.

First, smartphones are too complicated for some people, particularly the elderly. (I’m not putting down the elderly; this is just something I have observed.) Smartphones take a lot of getting used to, and some folks get discouraged, irritated, or overwhelmed with them.

Second—and this is probably more important—basic phones are hacker-proof. Fans of the TV drama NCIS may remember the episode where the phones of all the good guys got hacked, except for that of Gibbs, who had a basic phone. “Hacker-proof!” he shouted gleefully at his team. (I never got into that show, so I am recounting based on what a friend told me.)

Do you have a basic phone? What do you love about it?

Who’s “DAT”?

April 21, 2025Leave a comment

Running an editing business requires paperwork. (I use the term “paperwork” loosely, because much of it is filled out online.) I live in Maryland, and besides start-up forms when you first launch your business and tax forms to the IRS and the state, you must fill out and submit DAT forms every year by April 15.

“What are DAT forms?” you ask.

DAT stands for Department of Assessments and Taxation. It wants to know how much money your business made each calendar year. It also wants to know about the personal property your business has and how much it is all worth.

For Fiedler Editorial LLC, I used to have to fill out two forms. One is the Annual Report, which I still complete, and the other is the Personal Property Report, from which I am now exempt. Since I am a single-member entity, the Annual Report is pretty painless. All I have to do is list my department number (you find this out the very first time you fill out such a form), answer several questions about my business by checking boxes, and list my gross earnings for the year. The questions are fairly straightforward, and if you do not understand something, there is a phone number for DAT on its website. The only caveat is that you have to remember to list your gross earnings for the year, not your net profit. Thankfully, I read instructions well, so I have never made this mistake.

The first few times I filled out DAT forms, I had to complete the Personal Property Report, which was an absolute pain. I basically went about giving the required information by listing every single item of property my business owned on a piece of scrap paper (this included the carpeting and window blinds in my home office). Then next to each item, I wrote how much I paid for it and calculated its final value using a given depreciation formula. Finally, I placed each value into a column based on categories (one column for computer hardware, one for furniture, et cetera) and added up each column. It is recommended to make multiple copies of the Personal Property Report and do at least one rough draft.

Thankfully, after a few years, the rule became that a Personal Property Report was required only if the value of the business property was a certain amount of money or greater. The value of my business property was lower than this amount, so I did not have to bother with that form any longer.

What required forms in your state are a headache for you?

Paul Roland Amyot – 1931-2025

April 14, 2025Leave a comment

Editor’s note: My father, Paul Roland Amyot, passed away on March 12, 2025 and this is why I have not posted in a long time. I wish to thank you all, dear readers, for your patience with me during this difficult time. I am ready to resume posting weekly and would like to start with the eulogy that I read at my father’s funeral. Perhaps this is not the most professional post in the world, but my father was very dear to me.

I would like to start by saying “thank you” to you all for coming to honor my dad today. It means a lot to my family and I know it would mean a great deal to him.

Paul Roland Amyot was born a New Englander and, although he lived in many locations throughout his 94 years on Earth, was a true example of the saying, “You can take the New Englander out of New England, but you can’t take New England out of the New Englander.” He loved his Red Sox and seafood, and being of Canadian descent, loved vacationing in Quebecois places like the Laurentians and the Eastern Townships. I have fond memories of spending summers in those regions with him and my mother.

But more importantly, my dad was a wonderful, honorable man who could best be described in three words: Dedicated, Hardworking, and Generous.

My dad was dedicated to the people he loved. He served as Godfather to several younger family members and role model to his younger siblings. He loved his family. When he was 19 and his father suddenly passed on, he became part of the glue that held his family together emotionally and spiritually.

He was dedicated to my mother. She was the love of his life, and from the beginning of their relationship, he did his best to bring her joy and happiness. He was dedicated to me, his only child. He and my mother fought for my rights and wellbeing when I was a special needs child—and it takes special parents to raise one! He and my mother attended my wedding in Jamaica even though the hot Caribbean wasn’t their first choice for a vacation, and made sure that my wedding reception in Maryland was perfect.

My dad was a hardworking man. He worked as a program analyst for the federal government for several decades, and volunteered in many capacities at his various parishes. But most importantly, he worked hard as a husband and father, helping around the house, fixing things when they broke, taking care of my mother when she was ill in her later years, and taking time out to play with me when I was a child and help me balance my checkbook when I became a young adult.

My dad was a generous man. He was frugal, but was always ready to help out those in need. He was also generous with his time. He always made time to visit and talk on the phone with his brothers and sisters. He cared genuinely about people, and supported several charitable causes.

Papa, you were so dedicated, hardworking, generous, and so many more great adjectives that I cannot list them all. We all miss you very much and will always miss you. We all love you very much.