quote:

Originally posted by rocket:
Now that's just plain silly...

Silly is the name of one of the characters in one of my favourite short stories, Way in the Middle of the Air.

I need to curtail my silliness at times but just can't seem to. I may not be manager material. I heard a rumor that your meeting Wildgravity in The Panic Room at seven p.m. tomorrow night. Any truth in that Doug? If that is the case, please hang a handkerchief from the door so that we can stay away and let you two get to know one another.

It's always for arts sake my brother, always!

I am an artiste!

Aren't we all? Some better than others.

Nard's above post made my eyes hurt!

Doug Spaulding:
A case of Systane lubricant eye drops is on the way to you.

Those are supposed to be books on fire!~

Sure!

There's gotta be better ways to demonstrate instead of burning the books:

Make a sidewalk out of books. At least read the titles while you walk.
Get a thousanhd helium baloons and send each book on its way
Create a shelter for the homeless out of books
Create a game of book tossing, something like horseshoes, which may sweep the nation
Try a country fair contest of who could stack the highest stack of books in the world. Can you imagine what you can do with twenty thousand books. Astrophere!

There's gotta be a lot more fine ideas out there.

Ship them all to some country where they don't have personal computers, MTV, and iPods.

quote:

Originally posted by embroiderer:
There's gotta be better ways to demonstrate instead of burning the books:

Make a sidewalk out of books. At least read the titles while you walk.
Get a thousanhd helium baloons and send each book on its way
Create a shelter for the homeless out of books
Create a game of book tossing, something like horseshoes, which may sweep the nation
Try a country fair contest of who could stack the highest stack of books in the world. Can you imagine what you can do with twenty thousand books. Astrophere!

There's gotta be a lot more fine ideas out there.

Those are all fine ideas, friend! Anything but burning!

quote:

Originally posted by dandelion:
Ship them all to some country where they don't have personal computers, MTV, and iPods.

I'm one of those Apple guys, and even I don't have a iPod!

Although I must confess that I want that new iPhone mighty bad!

I saw something entirely unique tonight. Must have been some sort of high-tech virtual emination system, designed specifically for evenings and/or the summer months. So many of you guys here are far more "tech savvy" than I. I can't even put photos on this site, so maybe someone on the West Coast has the answer (or a name) to this one.

I was walking down the street when I heard distant music playing. I had absolutely no idea where it was coming from. I looked all around, but to no avail. So, as I continued steadily down the street, the music became clearer and definitely louder. I was really puzzled now.

Then I saw what "appeared to be" people simply sitting on a porch; four people - two adults and two children, aged maybe 8-10 years old. Whatever this new technology is, it is VERY REALISTIC! I mean, even the way the "figures" moved - subtle, then quickly - was nothing less than amazing. They seemed to be engaged in a common activity, a game or conversation. Imagine!?

(Has anyone seen this yet? Or am I one of the first here in the East to see such projections being Tubed! into what is actually thin air?)

It sounded as if the music was coming from directly inside the house. Some type of wireless or lightfiber set up, no doubt. Interestingly, there was a slight scratching in the system's audio programming, maybe in order to have some nostalgic element better sensed.

Another weird part of all of this was when the song that was playing came to an end, one of the children completely disappeared through what looked like a door. Just as suddenly (15-20 seconds at the most), the child re-formed and the music seemed to follow him out the door, simultaneoulsy. (Think Star Trek, Scottie, and those cool transporters!)

Now for the most bizarre part of this whole experience! It was when I walked immediately passed the house. The characters in the "scene/virtual imaging/thin air video" (whatever?), started looking in my direction and then seemed to be speaking right to me. I swear, the scene from the movie F451 came instantly to mind ~ when "Linda" is being spoken to by those strange b-rated "cousins" on the big wall screens. ("And, what do you think, Linda?")

Anyhow, pausing momentarily, I was so taken by the high-definition holoplasmics and digital sound quality of the whole deal, I almost spoke back to "them."

With the hair raised on the back of my neck, I decided I had seen enough. I quickened my pace. The music faded as I distanced myself from the house.

Whoever has the time and the MONEY to buy such toys as this outlandish entertainment system, I feel, surely needs to re-examine their value system. (Peter and Wendy's nursery had nothing on this gadgetry!)

And to think this is happening right in my own neighborhood, in a rural town, where kids usually are seen playing a late game of ball under the streetlights.

Where will it all end?

The technical term for this scene, I believe, is "nostalgia", and it's not a new technology at all. To the contrary, it is a very old one, and I, for one, hope it catches on!

"Nostalgia?!" Does it have anything to do with vacuum tubes or connecting wires. Curious!

http://home.mchsi.com/~wcall/MCF_ROTr/Pch_Chat.JPG
I don't see any cords or mirrors.