| Personal background |
|---|
I was born the same year as television broadcasts of weather satellite photos--and the first computer game. In fact, if the resolution were better, you could see the place where I was born in the first televised satellite photo.
I took the first computer course offered in my high school. We were stupid in those days. We thought that games that asked you questions like "Do you want to buy more land?" were amazing. We rejoiced at pictures printed with letters instead of pixels. We punched cards that said "Do not fold, bend, spindle or mutilate". Kids nowadays could use advice like that--they have more holes in them than the original program for Tic-Tac-Toe.
FORTRAN was used still used to write serious programs, but was already regarded as a Dinosaur. COBOL was a good career choice. We had never heard of Pong, except as something that geeks did if they forgot to bathe. Bill Gates III was a nerdy high school kid like me, only with more zits and his first $100,000. He was yet to embarass himself by asking why anybody would ever need more than 256k of home computer memory. They told us that computers would change our world. They did not mention VCR's, CD's, DVD's, MP3's or Gameboys. They did not warn us about Beta, 8-tracks, voice-mail or Spam.
In fact Spam was still a song with words that were easy to remember.
I saw ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW when people remembered the original words and gestures. I saw MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL on the big screen. And screens WERE big in those days. It is not the motion pictures that have gotten small. It is the fricking value you get for your dollar that has gotten small. My mother used to buy two (paper) bags full of groceries for $5.00. You can't get a box of jujubes for that now.
And don't get me started on DVD prices.
|
| Thoughts about SETI and SETI@home |
|---|
I am supporting SETI on the theory that the Universe seems exquisitely fine-tuned for intelligent life but there isn't any here, so there must be plenty of it somewhere else. Not original, perhaps, but
Here is an Intelligence Test. Take it. See what I mean.
1. Explain the lyrics of the song "Strange Fruit" by Billy Holiday in terms that an intelligent alien could understand. Pretend the survival of the planet depends on your explanation--it might someday.
2. Did you vote for George W. Bush, Jr.? Did anybody you know vote for him? How did he become President then?
3. There are 3,000 calories in a deep-fried onion with dip. The average American requires 2,500 calories a day. How come a deep-fried onion with dip is considered an appetizer? Should you have the Kentucky-fried steak or the salad with your choice of appetizer, soup or salad, entree and dessert? Does the restaurant have stomach-pumps? Does it have fire-extinguishers? Where is the nearest exit?
4. Why do they call them "reality shows" when they are in fact the most contrived performances that you have seen since your Uncle Bob got his first movie camera in 1965? Do you know anybody who watches them? Why are they on air?
Discuss in conjunction with the hypothesis: "America loves a freak show".
5. If you were an intelligent alien, would you contact Earth (1) intentionally; (2) accidentally; (3) not even on a bet. |
| Your feedback on this profile |
|---|
| Recommend this profile for User of the Day: |
I like this profile |
| Alert administrators to an offensive profile: |
I do not like this profile |
|
|
