You’re out in the world, at some place, usually a social gathering or event, like a convention, or a concert; basically, any place you’ll see a lot of strangers. Suddenly, you see somebody that you recognize, or at least you think you do.
For me, I usually take a bit of time to wait and see if the person also recognizes me as well. If looks like they do as well, they a friendly “hey”, or “hey, [name]. How ya doing?” follows.
A few very, very rare times I’ve even spotted my own doppelgänger. Those moments make you get a little nervous because you wonder if that person also sees themselves in you. The former happens to me a lot more at conventions since I usually meet a few new people and add friends nearly every time and there’s a few cosplayers I say hi to when I get a chance to. The latter is super rare and its been a few years since it last happened to me.
Roads? Where we’re going, we don’t need roads. -Doc Brown
The first Back to The Future movie ended with that line, as Doc, Marty, and Jennifer launch, in a flying DeLorean, to the future. Part 2 picks up right after this, and the future definitely looked different. Somewhat outlandishly different.
Clothing that would have been at the edge of fashion in ’85 was the norm in the imagined 2015 world. Advertisements were much more pervasive and even holographic. Athletic shoes had self-tightening laces. Hoverboards, for gosh sakes, were the latest fun way to get around, replacing skateboards. There’s even more, but those are some of the most memorable examples.
So, what’s a tech-savvy person to make of this? Well, there’s some things there that are nearly self-fulfilling projections of the technology of the time. Self-tightening shoes, for example, were really a giant leap and Nike will be releasing matching shoes, inspired by those in the film.
Hoverboards, however, as envisioned in the movie, are ever-elusive, although tech is in the works on, and some practical hovering-based things exist, but they’re mostly more practical things, like cargo moving gadgets, to replace wheels.
Great Scott! The future is now. Meet our Hendo 2.0 #hoverboard #bttf
Not quite as versatile as the ones in the movie, but evolving.
The heavy commercialization and in-your-face advertisement isn’t quite as obnoxious as shown in the film version of 2015, but it does continue its slow crawl towards it, from increasing product placement almost being expected, not just in film, but, TV (which still exists) and even video games.
In a way, I’m a bit glad it’s not such an exact match of the predictions, which usually fall short, especially in more whimsical sci-fi such as this. Things are, in some ways, arguably better (and, not just because the Cubs didn’t even make it to the World Series.) For example, the very wide-spread use of, and even existence of, the Internet. There was not even an inkling that such a communication network would be so big. It’s good that was not imagined since any guess would have been very far off.
Those are just my quick thoughts on this since it was really a summer movie that didn’t get me to thinking too hard on serious issues of the development of society. I was more focused on getting ready for the fall school year since my family hadn’t been in our new place in the suburbs very long while the movie was still new.
[On October 21, 2015,] movie fans celebrated “Back to the Future Day” since it was the day that the characters went to in their time machine. The vision they cast about what 2015 would be like in 1989 is quite different. What do you think about that?
Let me know what your thoughts were, or if you’ve already grown weary of the saturation, that’s fine too. 🙂
I’ve requested the relevant week off, but have no firm plans. It’s not for lack of ideas. It feels like not one of them has really felt more appealing than the others.
I’ve thought of a first time visit to Hawaii, or New York; both places I’ve never visited, which seem worthy of a visit.
Not sure if this is Hawaii, but it looks nice.
I’ve also considered some local exploration. Visiting some places I’ve always wanted to, but could never seem to set aside time to do so.
The more I think about it, the more that combining these ideas feels better. Perhaps a visit to the east coast, and then return for some local activities, might be a fun way to celebrate 40 trips around the day-star.
I’m still not sure, and have less than 2 weeks to firm up a plan, should I decide to do something. My usual tradition is not to do much of anything except a quiet time with immediate family. I’ve have 39 years of that, so I’m good for a little while.
Whatever I decide to do, I probably won’t stop with just one week. I think I should celebrate for an entire year, perhaps. We’ll see.
A blank page as a writing “problem” to solve – that’s an interesting way to look at it, right?
It is the single most intimidating part of writing, I think. I mean it’s like this. How can I turn this blank screen into a number of paragraphs, that each have something semi-interesting to say? Brainstorming didn’t always seem practical to me in my schooling days. Now that I’ve been adulting for a while, however, I guess I get to avoid blank screens more, so it’s easier. Replying to emails, for example, allows me to quote the original email and even to reply inline, and both of these features of modern text communication are what “seed” most of my actual writing.
I do sort of miss pen-and-paper writing a bit, but not the blank pages. Perhaps I’ll give that another try to make sure I can still do that kind of writing.
At any rate, this page isn’t nearly as blank as when I started, so I think I’ve “fixed” it, until the next time, which begins as soon as I click “publish.” 🙂
Now, it’s your turn (can’t let you get away with just reading this, now can I?) How do you conquer the Blank Page Boss? Let’s see some strategies. Post or comment.
Somehow, I’ve become a bit of a collector of wallets made of paper. Here’s one of them.
My current choice. It’s not leather, believe it or not!
It’s called a Mighty Wallet, and is made by the folks over at Dynomighty.
At first, I was a bit skeptical of using folded paper as a wallet, but it both grows on one and has some practical use. In a way, it forces a more disciplined use of the wallet. I mean, everybody knows about the “old man” wallet, the one your dad (or other elder wallet user) has that is so massive that it closely resembles a small, leather-bound brick. I never liked having that feeling in any pocket. Since it’s paper and folded (not stitched), you’re less inclined to overfill it since that would push the seams apart. Since I do not carry a lot of cash or cards, this is great.
Also, dropping a bulging wallet can sometimes be quite embarrassing, especially when cards fall out.
A cool thing about the particular wallets I’ve collected is that they can also be pretty good conversation-starters (I have a Batman wallet, for example), but that’s not just due to the fact they’re made of paper, but more due to there being some pretty interesting designs available, of which I have a few.
The iPhone 3GS was my first smartphone, and basically began what seems to be a long-term relationship with highly connected technology. Before I had it, my phone was a pretty basic flip-phone from LG. That phone was OK, not great (call dropped too easily and often), so I was finally fed up by the time the third generations of iPhone was released.
I’d seen a few of the first and second generation phones among friends, but could not quite understand how the apps available could justify such a steep cost jump for a communication device. Then, I played with one in a local Apple store. That’s when, I think, I “got it”. There weren’t just the dumbed-down apps many “feature” phones had, but, instead, you could have a solid web browser, “visual” voicemail (much easier to work with than regular), and some apps that just didn’t really do much on “dumb” phones (twitter, for example was originally something designed for text-only).
I’m not sure if I’m saying this right, but the iPhone felt more like a flexible communication tool than just a phone you could carry in your pocket. I could quickly(!) search for information, and have the answers while others were waiting for 411 to even pick up sometimes. I remember checking movie showtimes using the (now defunct) 777-FILM number for Moviefone (miss that voice), but an app (actually, multiple apps) did the job better, and, faster.
Without that iPhone, I probably would have waited even longer or even dabbled in the Android cloud of devices. Even back then, before Android was released, I often heard friends lament they had to reboot their phones again and again. I really wondered how instability could be tolerated, but it really came down to cost, in most cases. Paying for quality is sometimes a good investment. It means you usually buy less often. Even now, I usually skip at least one generation before thinking about an upgrade. A new phone every year still doesn’t make sense to me.
When did you get your first smart phone? What was it and why did you choose that one? And how has your opinion and perspective around mobile devices changed since that eventful day?
If you know me pretty well, you know I’m nearly inseparable from a single gadget. That gadget is my iPhone. I won’t say I can’t live without it, but nearly so. I’d be limited in much functionality without it. It’s mainly the small conveniences I’d miss.
For example, in a typical day, it’s my alarm clock (and sleep monitor, so I wake up at a good time.) Then, it’s good background for music while performing the morning rituals. Traffic hardly phases me with the handy navigation software. Work’s a rare location I’d barely miss it, but it’s still handy sometimes. Then, heading home, or on longer trips, it’s great to have other good listening materials, such as audiobooks and podcasts, handy.
When did I first discover this multi-function device? That was actually years before I first purchased one. This is surprising since I’m also an Apple fan. I knew about the device from the day it was first announce, on January 7, 2007, at MacWorld.
It wasn’t until the iPhone 3GS that I made the leap from a very basic flip-phone, to the device that is like a Star Trek tricorder. I’ve skipped a few generations due to the 2 year contract cycle (I’m grandfathered in on the unlimited plan), but I don’t feel I’ll be leaving the platform any time soon.
What is one gadget (tech or non-tech) that you can’t live without? Tell a story of how you first discovered it.
Sometimes, a mistyped, but catchy, phrase can lead to some interesting cultural discoveries.
First, I did a search for this phrase which apparently has its origins in India, and found that the phrase, reported to commonly appear on trucks, is actually “Horn OK Please.” It’s used to tell approaching drivers to sound their horn when passing the truck which has the phrase emblazoned on its backside. The origins are unknown, but it makes sense, and the information appears in a WikiPedia article as well.
I also found a few interesting stories, indirectly, such as an ambitious-looking travel project based on the phrase and a blog of a runner. Both sites appear to be dormant. I wonder if the road trip has any more interesting stories?
Searching can be..interesting, sometimes. Exploring the web is an adventure in itself. Give it a try sometime, and, by all means, write about it. What strange sites have you stumbled upon in searches lately?
I’m going to answer this, but before I do, I want to be clear: I love audiobooks for consuming stories. They increase the volume possible to get through and, frankly, the storytelling mode of one person to another (or many) is one I favor. I do enjoy directly reading when I can, but some locations (such as driving) prohibit that. So, without further adieu, here’s my current list:
Darth Plagueis (Star Wars)
by James Luceno
“Did you ever hear the Tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise? It’s a Sith legend. Darth Plagueis was a Dark Lord of the Sith, so powerful and so wise that he could use the Force to influence the midi-chlorians to create life. He had such a knowledge of the dark side that he could even keep the ones he cared about from dying.”
—Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith
When I saw that moment in Episode III, I thought it might be interesting to actually dig into that story. Roughly a year ago, I was informed by a friend and fellow Star Wars fan that this story exists. I knew then that I had to at least wishlist this story, so I did.
American Gods
by Neil Gaiman
Gaiman’s a well-known author and I’ve enjoy a few of his other works, and the fruits of them, in other media, so I decided to add this to my list.
I should note that both of these are sort of “on hold”, but they’re available at the tap of a button on my iPhone, so I will endeavor to get through them. I think I’ll alternate listening to them with podcasts (oh, yeah, I love those as well, but that’ll be another post.)
A much longer list is the list of books I want to read. I’ll keep chipping away at that as well.
The System of the World (The Baroque Cycle, Vol. 3)
by Neal Stephenson
Confession: I like me some door-stopper books, but especially if they’re by Stephenson. I actually have this one digitally, however, to give my arms a break.
What are you reading these days and why? What’s on your reading list?
