TRUMP, ALEXA, SPLIT BEDS AND OTHER FRIPPERIES
DESCRIBING TRUMP: Among the many negative Trump descriptors, this one is worth noting…“Trump is a Section 8 scion, a bully whose quantum of thought is no greater than a tweet.” From Bruce Cannon Gibney’s audiobook, “A Generation of Sociopaths: How the Baby Boomers Betrayed America”
Trump also has a ‘tell.’ Whenever he says, ‘Believe me,’ you know he is lying.
BUYER BEWARE: No doubt, you have seen commercials for adjustable beds allowing two sleepers up and down independent movement. He is down counting sheep. She is up, reading Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? The official term for these sleepers is split adjustable bed and they sell from $3,000 to $8,000.
One bed ad tells us ‘You’ll enjoy more activities in bed than you did before.’ This claim delivers a quality pause for imaginary reflection.
The ad also boasts it is designed ‘For different mattress preferences.’ It certainly is because this bed is actually two separate mattresses on two, side-by-side, separate beds. The commercial omits this important non-benefit.
Because they are two separate beds, each bed has firmly tucked-in sheets on all four sides. So when ”We’ll enjoy more activities in bed than you did before,” they are not kidding. The activities will be contorting couples trying to get past the tucked-in sheets of the two different beds to get at each other which is one of the benefits of sleeping together. Looking for a Split Adjustable bed? Buyer beware.
HEFNER’S RELATIONSHIP WITH WOMEN: “If you don’t commit, you don’t get hurt.” Hugh Hefner, The Los Angeles Times
THE FUTURE IS ALEXA. BE VERY AFRAID: Amazon’s Echo Dot, and other artificial intelligent devices on the market, answer a wide variety of spoken questions and requests. These devices are sure to be a sizable hit this coming Christmas season. Want to know the traffic for your commute today? Ask Alexa. Alexa is Amazon’s thingy name. Alexa will tell you the route, any problems and arrival times. Want the weather for tomorrow? Ask Alexa. Who was the 14th U.S. president? Ask Alexa. Want to hear classical music? Alexa plays Brahms.
With these Q&A devices, we are witnessing the primitive beginnings of HAL, the all-knowing artificial intelligent computer from Arthur C. Clarke’s book and Stanley Kubrick’s film, 2001, A Space Odyssey. Soon we will be talking to an Alexa in every home and school room.
Cars will have built-in ones for navigation, nearby lodging, room rates, restaurants, bathrooms.
Office Alexas will have knowledge bases for specific businesses: legal, medical, administration, financial, manufacturing, etc.
The knowledge base for these AI machines will surely broaden exponentially with each new upgrade.
As of now, they only answer fact based questions from sites around the internet. But how soon before these devices will be able to us give evaluative answers, make judgement calls and have an opinion? Now do you remember HAL?
HAL takes over.
HAL controls everything.
HAL destroys.
Be very afraid.
