Friday, February 19, 2010

"I'm sorry, Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that."

Today's book study was fun. One of our crew decided to bring paper and colored pencils to try out the mind-mapping technique discussed in How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci. Basically, it's a web, created in your own style, about whatever topic you choose. So, while we sipped our wine and discussed the concepts in the book...and our week in general, we doodled away and mapped to our hearts' content. Not only was it easy to draw and interact at the same time, it was thoroughly soothing and calming. It was a good focusing activity. I highly suggest it. (Great idea, S.)

On the way home, I picked up something quick for dinner, a few movies at the local video store, a couple of grocery items and headed home to grab the parenting baton so D. could run off into the night, change into his superhero uniform in a phone booth, and save the day (or night, as it were).

The little guy and I watched "9":



He was surprisingly transfixed. I considered not turning it off once it got "scary"...but he didn't seem one bit bothered by it's intensity. So, I let him stay up about an hour and a half later than usual to finish it. I'm hoping it will set his rhythm back a bit so he'll sleep in, nap later, and make it possible for us to hit a family birthday during his regular nap time, come home for a late nap, and head out to a friend's gathering in the evening. Ahhh...the best laid plans...

Anyway, got the little booger to bed, came in the office to post, and decided the computer is in some serious need of help. Somehow, oddly, my registry mechanic and my virus protection have suddenly just disappeared. I solicited some advice, downloaded a new virus scan and free anti-virus software, tried to defrag my hard-drive(though my computer says I don't need to), and am still at a loss. Maybe it is just time to accept that my computer is about to kick the bucket. I hate how expendable technology is. It drives me loopy that these damned things are literally hard-wired to self-destruct so we will have to buy a new one every few years.

I personally have no problem using outdated technology. I remember taking my first cell phone into Verizon, about 7 years after I got it, to trade it in for a new one. The kid behind the counter said he hadn't seen one like mine before...it had to be "really" old. It annoyed me. I then asked him what the most simple phone he had was. He showed me all kinds. I asked if he had any phones that were made simply for making phone calls. I didn't want to take pictures, operate my garage door, or beam myself up anywhere. He laughed...and said no.

Now, here I am...with a dying computer, wondering what the hell I'm going to get stuck with now. A new, annoying, unstable operating system that was never tested well enough for public use?

Grrr...I hate...and love...technology.

Hey, this all kind of ties into the movie we watched. Will we eventually kill our own kind off with our dangerous ability to create technology for which we don't fully understand the repercussions? Hmm. Maybe that little cartoon was deeper than I thought. And more accurate than makes me comfortable.

Anyhow, technology is quite obviously a necessary evil...just as the devil is the opposite side of god...so is technology the opposite side of humanity.


One person can make a difference.

Two can change the world.

And a machine may well destroy it all in the end.

Happy thought.

G'nite.

1 comment:

Henrietta said...

It was fun! And you realize that you will need a new comp - but they say the new windows operating system is much more user friendly - I'd love to replace this one with it!