“Hey. Inarush. Meetyoutonightatseven. Bringthebagyouborrowed. Okaybye.”

A twenty-minute conversation shrunk to 57 seconds because you only have two minutes of battery time left on your cell phone. A sign of the times, friends, a sign of the times.

Get ready for even more compression. Young Generation’s talking postcards set a new standard for short voice-messaging. You get just ten seconds to record on the card’s microchip. Then you pop the note in the mail, stamp and all, for a nice old-school touch.

It’s the next-best way to say, “So, thanks for taking me home with you last night and making pancakes for breakfast” or “On second thought, actually, you’re fired.” (Just some suggestions.) One card comes with a slot for a small photo. Insert a pic of a toilet to add emphasis to “I’m dumpin’ you, loser.” (Again, just a suggestion.) The talking or shouting (emotions don’t take any longer) greetings come in bold colors, and messages can be re-recorded ten times.

Saving those precious cell-phone minutes for important things. Like talking to people you really like.

Available online at mousseshop.com.