Two Thoughts for Tuesday

After my extended absence, I am back with a thought or two on Tuesday. 

Prior to my 2 month break from blogging, I had mentioned that I needed to replace my old 3G Iphone with a newer model.  The fact was that it was sooooooooooooo slooooooowwwwwwwwwwwww  was making me nuts.  (for those of you that rolled their eyes while reading the word "making", I am chossing to ignore you) I know there are a number of phones that are available and I didn't have to have the brand Apple IPhone but as I am used to that particular phone and it works so well with my IPad, I went to talk to the Apple Geniuses to find out the pros and cons of upgrading to the 4S.  The minute the genius told me that it was fast, fast, fast....I said sold, sold, sold.

Just to be clear, I have NOTHING against the other phones.  I am not a hater of your Droids, Evos, Galaxys or any other phone.  SOOO for you that last time referred to me as a I-hole.  Save your breath. (I am still preferring to think that you meant that in the nicest possible way).  I will have my phone and you can have yours.  

The real genius of Apples marketing plan is they released a lot of new features on the new model and made the older 3G phones incapable of downloading future  updates.  So if we wanted the 200+ new features, a much faster running phone and a personal virtual assistant I was inspired  to run out and get the new phone. Of course, I also realize that in about a minute from now they will release the IPhone 5 and all of the 4S buyers are going to be kicking themselves. 



Thought #1

The new IPhone has a feature that includes a voice activated  virtual "assistant" called Siri.  Siri lets you talk to her and she will schedule appointments, make calls, tell you where your are and how to get to where you want to be,  and any number of "must know now" inquiries.   Well that is what she is supposed to do.  This of course leads to everyone asking all manner of questions to see what she might say.  Leave it to the masses to find another way to fritter away time.  Here is an example of some question asking.  Keep in mind that the girl asking the questions has such an annoying giggle, you will want to punch her but the video shows some of the questions being asked of Siri. I am sure you will all be in favor of Siri telling this chick to shut up. Siri must have a certain amount of self restraint. (yes, I understand that at least on some level these answers are "Easter eggs in the software...so don't email me)  Still some of these are pretty funny.






Thought #2


Never let anything go without some controversy. (I mean other than the usual...my phone is better than your phone type of stuff.)

Charlie Le Quesne, a 12 year old boy that was looking at phones on display at a store,  asked an Iphone 4S "How many people are there in the world was shocked to hear the reply "Shut the F*** Up You Ugly T***.  The boys mother was quoted as saying perhaps Siri was tired of stupid questions.  The store manager, however surmised that someone tricked the phone into thinking that the owners name was "Shut the F*** Up... and Siri often answers questions incorporating the owners name.( You can read more about that story in a Huffington Post Tech  article.)

  For the most part Siri keeps things pretty clean.  When asked to talk dirty, she responded with the answer "Humus,Compost. Pumice. Silt. Gravel".  See she does have a sense of humor.

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What Were They Thinking?

In the past I have done articles on Friday about the less-than-mainstream news. My theory that people slack off a bit on Friday at work and need some fluff to talk about while waiting for the clock to give them  permission to get the weekend started.  Frankly now that we have our IPads loaded with Words With Friends and Angry Birds, we have our Facebook and Twitter accounts to stay on top of and can watch our favorite TV shows on our smart phones, I am not sure that anyone would actually need some time wasters. Truly the Internet is the SUPREME time suck if ever there was one.  Every day is loaded with time wasters.   No one will ever convince me that all this technology was created to make us MORE productive.  (Sorry, I had to stop for a second and look at Facebook...oh yeah, I am in the thick of wasting time along with the rest of the masses)


So, today, I was cruising around on the information highway (remember when it was called that?? If you are too young to recall that, just go with the fact that I am old) and came across a few items that had me wondering:


                      What the Hell, were they thinking?????


First out of the box is the story out of Atlanta about the school that had "questionable" questions on a THIRD GRADE math test.  Beaver Ridge Elementary School in Gwinnett County put word problems in a test such as these:

Seems the math test has taken word problems to a level that are less than politically correct, to say the least.  School official said the questions were meant to mix social studies with mathematics.  (REALLY??? Are you even trying to defend this?)

After outraged parents weighed in, the one teacher resigned and three others are under investigation.


The next story that hit me as a WTHWYT was the new advertisement out of North Dakota to promote tourism.  

North Dakota is trying to encourage people to visit their state so they have Odney Advertising doing some ads promoting reasons to come visit their state.   There are certainly reasons to visit North Dakota.  They have beautiful parks and topography.  Maybe they should capitalize on Yellowstone National Park. Just a thought.

And if that isn't pretty enough to entice you, you could go see the largest historical quilt in the nation, the longest straight highway, or see W'eel the huge turtle made out of hubcaps. All kinds of attractions are worth the trip for sure.   (check it out on  http://www.roadsideamerica.com/location/nd)

Still with all of that going for them this is the ad they think is what is going to have you driving to ND.

 

Well, well, LEAVE A LEGEND???? Really, aren't we full of ourselves?  These guys/gals don't look like they will be legends.  A hook up is a hook up.  I think there are 49 other states that you can accomplish this.  Why drive to ND?

Pat Finken, president of Odney Advertising that did the ad, was surprised at some negative responses to the ad.  It was supposed to be "a little fun and a little flirty" according to Pat.

North Dakota's director of ND tourism division, Sara Otte Coleman said they were surprised by the negative reaction to the ad as well.  Sara went on to say she didn't think the ad was in any way in poor taste.  Still the ad was yanked.


This last one is also, a WTHWTT but in a less sleazy and more comical way. 

In Cleveland a high profile court case concerning corruption is unfolding but the local courts are not allowing cameras into the courtroom.  So not wanting to leave the public uninformed (god forbid) station WOIO is broadcasting nightly a puppet show with a reenactment of the days trial events.   Yes, you read that correctly...puppets.   





There are just no upper limits to quality news programming?

Some Days You Just Need to Stay in Bed

As I am a glutton for punishment, I start my day each day at around 5:15 getting ready to walk with my Texas pal via our cell phones and Bluetooths.  I pull on my walking clothes and switch on the news to find out what temperatures await me.   In theory, this gives me time to add multiple layers as needed.  Today we have a balmy 27 degrees so just a coat, gloves, and ski band were in order. 

Some days the news gives me "talk" fodder for Texas pal.  Kansas City just seems to have interesting news for some reason.   I won't  go so far as to say we have more "less than brilliant" people that reside here or maybe we have the most unlucky lot of folks on the planet or perhaps a combination of the two....not sure but today among the BREAKING NEWS, we have on tap today, are two stories related to vehicles.  (By the way...a lot of our BREAKING NEWS can be such topics as "cold front moving in"....we set our bar really low as to what news is breaking.)


First Breaking News Item for the Day


Yesterday, there was a car jacking in Olathe, KS.  That in itself might be rare but never say never.  The thing about this carjacking was that it started in Olathe, went north through a lot of other municipalities that took up the police chase.  That is big news here!  So these carjackers (there were 3 of them in the vehicle) went on a police chase having first Olathe police on their tail, then Lenexa police, then Shawnee, then (according to the news) Fairway and Mission, KS police followed.  Now here is where it gets interesting.   When our brainiac carjackers get into Kansas City, Missouri the KC police decide NOT to continue the pursuit.  The news didn't say why.  Perhaps they were otherwise engaged.  Not sure.  Never the less the police chase ended and the carjackers were free to go about their business of thievery, I guess.

BUT WAIT FOR IT....

They are driving around and crash into a KC Water company truck.  No one is chasing them...they are just crappy drivers it seems.  One guy died and another is critical...no report on the third guy. 





this is quite a long distance as police chases go...on a normal morning in traffic this
would take 45 minutes.



Story No. 2

Yesterday, the Kansas City Fire Department was called out to a BP gas station as someone who was putting gas in their pick up truck said when he pulled out the nozzle his truck blew up.  YIKES...That really is not a good way to start your day. 

Now there is some breaking news.