First Word

I love HBO's programming. I watch so many shows now off paid TV that the other day I watched commercial television and realized I was totally out of it. Commercials! Who likes those in the middle of your show? I did notice that online shopping has become the biggest promotion (yes, I am that out of it). Speaking of ... let's segue to the topic at hand -- the final season of Silicon Valley . Most shows as they end tend to wind down, and not always in a good way. Season 6 of Silicon Valley has turned into a laugh-worthy, well-timed series. I'm not sure what part of the ridiculousness I admire most. AI Denesh was great as it managed all of Denesh's contacts to his utter delight. Then we had the virtual chess battle between Gilfoyle and his Hooli phone expert. The friend rejection at the end was a let down, but true to Gilfoyles anti-social personality, he didn't accept the friend request. I also thoroughly enjoyed the episode where the evil investor goes after ...

Ever see someone walk across a busy intersection absorbed in texting on his/her Smart Phone? How common is that scene (and how dangerous)? When I lived in LA the scene of a guy or girl walking obliviously down a busy street texting or doing something else on his/her Smart Phone was as common as a McDonald's on every other corner. People go to restaurants to enjoy a lovely meal and instead of conversing with each other each one's head is down and each one is absorbed in something on the Smart Phone. Bored waiting for something? Just watch a movie on your Smart Phone. Don't feel like talking to your companion, play on your Smart Phone. Forget magazines in the waiting room. Download an article. Some of the conveniences are really great. Who doesn't want to watch a movie while waiting for something. The issue at hand is the disconnect and alienation. When I was married the TV was on 24 x 7. When I got divorced I swore to put an end to the major disconnect the flat screen ...

Rating: ***1/2 Transcendence was the type of thought-provoking script I would have written when I was still screenwriting (which I will return to doing in the future). The story revolves around the concept of uploading human consciousness into a mega data network that enables the invention and creation of nano technology to regenerate life. I studied nano technology back in the day, and the concept is indeed fascinating. In the movie, our professor Dr. Will Caster and his wife Evelynn are partners in life and work. After a terrorist organization shoots Will with a radiation-loaded bullet, he dies a slow terrible death. During his death "march" Evelynn figures out how to upload his consciousness into the network. The movie then turns into the government trying to stop what many believe is a bad thing that could destroy the world. I liked the movie. I thought it begged some interesting questions about technology and the human spirit. It was the type of movie in which y...

Do you realize that teenagers today don't even know what is a rotary phone? How about a manual camera? A life without text, voice mail or email or Skype ... what's that? My son wouldn't know what is an measurement of focus on a camera let alone know how to set it to take a picture. Film, what? You mean you don't have to simply download your pictures? What about a record? A vinyl record or a record player or even a tape deck? The technological leap that enables all the wonderful digital pleasures we enjoy today have also created an even greater instant gratification mentality. Who wants to wait to see a photo developed anyway? And our communication has so greatly changed. Who would have imagined lovers could fight in text? A typing war of words and feelings. Text arguments are kind of strange, too, because it's a cold media. The good, you can organize your thoughts. The bad, no verbal cues or voice inflection. Actually, since I have partaken in text feuds a few tim...

Okay, I have to start off with an astute observation made by wonderful boyfriend Kirk Donnelly who whispers all sorts of sage wisdom in my ear. One day we were bantering back and forth in text and the discussion took a serious turn.  Suddenly, my phone rings and Kirk says, "Why the heck are we having a serious discussion in text?"  I started laughing. "I don't know sweetheart, why are we?"  "Text is no place to have a serious discussion, sweetie." LOL ...  And words to live by ... TEXTING is no place to have a serious discussion whether personally or professionally .  We are a strange techno society indeed. What is up with people using text to discuss important matters? I had a relationship where the person never picked up the phone and all the heavy stuff went down in text. First, text and email are cold media -- no voice, no inflection, no tone, and no idea of the true intent or emotions behind it. The only upside, you ca...

We now live in an e-mail and text-crazed society. You can't walk into a room these days without noticing at least one person bent over his/her Smart Phone with his/her fingers going crazy. What totally blows my mind is that most of that texting is completely unimportant dithering. I once worked with someone who couldn't stop texting. At first, I thought it was work. Then over time, I realized it was meaningless and probably not terribly scintillating texts going back and forth with men, friends or family. If you started to add up all of the time wasted texting back and forth, I bet it would be four or five hours easily of nonsense texting. Whatever happened to real conversations? Email can be just as time-consuming. But what I find particularly amusing are the people who are in the same room together and text back and forth. You're at a party and you're texting back and forth with your friend across the room? Here is an idea! Walk over and talk. What's up with that?...