So tell me, where would we be without barcodes these days? Can you even think of a place where they are not employed? Ever notice how frustrated check out clerks can get when the bar code can’t be read on the item you are purchasing. Does anyone even remember ten key adding machines? This was the cash register when I was a kid. No no, no I am not old enough to remember when you had a crank on the cash register so that the numbers popped up in the top of the machine. But I do remember going to the corner grocery and the clerk always had a pencil behind his ear – you know one of those flat pencils that got sharpened with a whittling knife. The brown paper (we didn’t have a choice of paper or plastic) bag the groceries were put in served as the writing tablet and each item was listed and totaled up the old fashioned way…. 8 +7 is 15, carry the one to the ten’s place….