Paying Attention? Just Checking.

Two minutes ago I was having a conversation with my younger brother, which ended as follows.

Me: "The meaning of 'geek' has changed a bit since we have the word 'nerd.' Right, dad?"
My dad (on blackberry): "Mm-hmm."
Me: "And if you spill milk, mold grows on the floor, right, dad?"
My dad: "... What??"
Me (laughing with my brother): "I was just seeing if you were paying attention."

Japanese Jump

This is how I jumped into the swimming pool the other day.

What did that say?

Every now and then I see something I would like to take a picture of, but I don't have a camera to do so. Fortunately, all such things that I've seen today are in words, so I can easily share the heightening ridiculousness of them.

First, a sign at a McDonald's building read: "Handicapped Ramp." My reaction: "The ramp is handicapped? It's not in a wheelchair; what's its problem?"

Similarly, I was looking for weed killer in our garage and instead found a windshield washing fluid, which claimed to be a "bug cleaner." My reaction: "No, it's a windshield washer. I don't want to clean the bugs, I want to clean the windshield of them."

And now, the one that absolutely drove me nuts: a LEGO magazine ad for a Bob the Builder show with 3D glasses described it as "4D." My highly predictable reaction: ... never mind, it's highly predictable. I don't need to go on about TV and the dimensions for the second time in a year (the first being about the Super Bowl commercial for a show going 3D in which the guy hits the wrong button and they turn flat, and he says, "Oops. That's 1D." Oh, hey, I should have posted that back then ...).

In case of fire ...

I recently had an appointment down at the hospital, and I noticed that the sign by the parking garage elevator had been subjected to this funny, and possibly ironic, doodle.Side note to you gamers: the flame on the right (which the camera phone couldn't get with the rest comprehensible) appears to have been made into a flower. Is the man with the cigarette responsible for the blaze, or can it be traced back to a certain Italian plumber?

It was a bright and stormy night ...

Man, that was quite the thunderstorm last night! For at least three hours, there was bright lightning flashing constantly, at times accompanied by really loud thunder. The lightning just wouldn't quit; there were rarely any bolts to see, but the whole outdoors lit up in rapid, succesive bursts every two seconds or less.

I wanted to stick warning signs on the windows like you see when you turn on a video game: "If you suffer from epilepsy or have experienced seizures from repeated flashes...."

The quick brown fox?

Remember the pangram, "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog"? I was just checking out what's new at a certain ROM hacking site, and there was a new section for font files to insert into games. I clicked on one to see what exactly they were, and it happened to use a hilarious example screenshot of the font in Final Fantasy 6. Too bad it doesn't use every letter of the alphabet.

Reality Isn't Virtual Enough

Well, now that I have time to blog that coincides with the internet connection working and my brother not using the computer, I've got something interesting to post.



It seems Microsoft decided to top the Wii as far as interactivity. Other videos show different features and ways they are put to use, but I have a comment about what is shown in this particular one. I think it points to a problem with our society.

The designer in the video stressed two things: the ability to hold a relationship with this virtual person, and how lifelike the system is. My first thought (or perhaps second, after "wow") was: "Why not meet someone in real life?" We (as a culture) don't interact with our fellow man enough, and when we do it is far too often through some online organization. It's rather ironic that the activities with Milo are, or at least can be, so organic. And if one can recognize the value of such experiences, they ought to put the stress on reality, this incredible, nonfictional world in which we live. It reminds me of parts of the movie Wall-E ; such as the moment when two of the computer-rules-their-lives people realize there's an amazing life to take part in, if they simply turned off their screens and looked around; or the captain's utter fascination with farming, dancing, and other activities familiar to the human race back on Earth long ago.

Of course, a common opinion is likely to be that Milo "cares about you, no matter what" and is "a friend without problems." The appeal of this idea is dangerous, to be frank. It is not wise to attach yourself to someone who, artificial intelligence notwithstanding, is not real. As God made us a social people, we are here to walk together.

I'm not saying the technology is bad. Indeed, it is my hope that it will serve as an awakening, a reminder of the importance of these things. As for Milo himself, you can have as much fun with him as you like; just never forget that his existence is a fantasy.