tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post8525479300652576194..comments2024-03-27T23:53:59.771-04:00Comments on SleuthSayers: Head in the CloudsLeigh Lundinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07921276795499571578noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-23913455288852855972017-01-02T20:50:05.617-05:002017-01-02T20:50:05.617-05:00I bet that editor is pleased by the compliment, Cl...I bet that editor is pleased by the compliment, Claire. It's quite a clever novel!<br /><br />Happy day-after-new-year!Leigh Lundinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07921276795499571578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-12219221474447994722017-01-02T10:22:36.219-05:002017-01-02T10:22:36.219-05:00I forgot to mention that M.C. Syben hired an excel...I forgot to mention that M.C. Syben hired an excellent editor in Orlando that gave those bots quite a comical flair.C.S.Poulsenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16543815556918004433noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-69131341788487516612017-01-01T23:00:55.839-05:002017-01-01T23:00:55.839-05:00Claire, you're ever so right– MC Syben it is! ...Claire, you're ever so right– MC Syben it is! And as I searched for <a href="https://www.amazon.in/Teen-Angel-M-C-Syben-ebook/dp/B01DJWPHXA" rel="nofollow">a link</a>, I notice a <a href="https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/m-c-syben/teen-angel/" rel="nofollow">Kirkus review</a>! Well done.<br><br>Jan, that's a good thing! My work is done.<br><br>Happy New Year!Leigh Lundinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07921276795499571578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-4808016287178805632017-01-01T22:00:33.881-05:002017-01-01T22:00:33.881-05:00Happy New Year, Leigh.Funny article.
Actually, Si...Happy New Year, Leigh.Funny article.<br /><br />Actually, Siri insists it was M.C. Syben, not Claire Poulsen, who penned the bot<br />quotes you used above,<br />from Teen Angel,C.S.Poulsenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16543815556918004433noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-18728358046058372402017-01-01T20:45:16.131-05:002017-01-01T20:45:16.131-05:00Leigh,
I'm laughing too hard to comment. Happ...Leigh,<br /><br />I'm laughing too hard to comment. Happy New Year.Jan Grapehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13323910083703514953noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-58678489885335114992017-01-01T18:43:25.025-05:002017-01-01T18:43:25.025-05:00Thanks, Eve. A friend started me watching The Big ...Thanks, Eve. A friend started me watching The Big Bang Theory. It sounds all to familiar.<br /><br />ABA, the gadgets have definite limitations. Growing means growing pains… and often groaning.<br /><br />Have a happy New Year!<br />Leigh Lundinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07921276795499571578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-58208335814632330192017-01-01T16:31:02.548-05:002017-01-01T16:31:02.548-05:00From the Big Bang Theory:
Raj: What’s your name?...From the Big Bang Theory: <br />Raj: What’s your name?<br />Phone: My name is Siri.<br />Howard: Look at that. There’s finally a woman in your life you can talk to.<br />Raj: Are you single?<br />Siri: I don’t have a marital status, if that’s what you’re asking.<br />Raj: Yeah, you’re right, that’s too personal. We hardly know each other. How about a cup of coffee?<br />Siri: I’ve found six coffee shops. Three of them are fairly close to you.<br />Raj: I will see you gentlemen later.<br />Howard: She is gonna break his heart.<br /><br />Love the post, Leigh! Happy New Year, everyone!Eve Fisherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03015761600962360110noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-40245324894747247662017-01-01T15:51:36.655-05:002017-01-01T15:51:36.655-05:00My brother in the UK has a new Alexa and, during a...My brother in the UK has a new <i>Alexa</i> and, during a recent Skype session, he invited me to ask her a question.<br /> <br />One I have used in the past to test the mettle of knowledge resources - human, book and electronic – is <i>‘What is the administrative capital of South Africa?”</i> <br /> <br />Alexa was stumped and said as much. <br /><br />So I rephrased and asked <i>“What is the capital of South Africa?”</i><br /> <br />She gave the answer you see below: <br /><i>Cape Town is the legislative capital.<br />Pretoria is the administrative capital.<br />Bloemfontein is the judicial capital.</i><br /><br />As with much of South Africa, things are seldom straight-forward. With 11 official languages, why not <i>three</i> capitals?<br /><br />Interesting that she had the answer, but was not able to tease out the specific one needed.<br />A Broad Abroadnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-16353545513637030262017-01-01T15:12:35.754-05:002017-01-01T15:12:35.754-05:00SleuthSayers friend Claire Poulsen wrote a charmin...SleuthSayers friend Claire Poulsen wrote a charming, futuristic tale involving personal assistants. The protagonist’s ’bot is named Eva, his social-climbing wife prefers Hilton, Antonio and Leonardo. The boys in the story opt for Murgatroyd and tweak their personalities toward the snarky and sarcastic. One child's mini-butlers calls him ‘Boy Genius’ and ‘O Powerful Offender of the Olfactory Nerves’. Sample conversation:<br /><br />A robotic butler opened the massive entryway. “Greetings. How may I serve you?”<br />“Is this the Brummell residence?”<br />“Indeed, this house, this manse, this ostentatious pile of bricks, this not-so-humble homestead, this decorous domicile, this glorified gaudy abode, this pretentious pile, this maudlin mansion, this glitz of a ritz, this extravagant exhibition in homebuilding, this showy shelter… Yes, indeed, it is the nearly respectable residence of the Brummells.”<br />Frederick giggled. “You’re the butler?”<br />“Sadly, yes. My given name is Jeeves. Can you imagine one with less imagination? Fully half of butlers are named James or Jeeves as if our dullish owners discovered something clever. Still, I suppose it’s better than being called Bucket of Bolts.”<br />Frederick laughed. He decided his mother’s Hilton could use some intensive reprogramming to free his inner sarcasm, much like Bart must have done with Jeeves.<br />“Is Bart home?”<br />“Young Master Bart? Yes. Shall I tell him who stands here before me? Who graces this doorstep? Who assails this portal? Who presents himself to enter these hallowed halls?”Leigh Lundinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07921276795499571578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-42382590873558076532017-01-01T14:55:21.103-05:002017-01-01T14:55:21.103-05:00Jeff, you have a way of drawing my attention to ‘n...Jeff, you have a way of drawing my attention to ‘new’ stories and even surprised me that I couldn’t recall Lovecraft’s ‘Cool Air’. which I’m sure I read when I was about 12. Thanks, Jeff, and have a great new year!<br /><br />Bonnie, it’s fun seeing what can be teased out of the current crop, although I was disappointed Apple withdrew Siri’s suggestions where to hide a body. Some people…!<br /><br />Rob, thanks and happy new year!<br /><br />O’Neil, I Descartes is a good one. You can also ask the devices to tell jokes or sing a song (as well as play music from your or their libraries).<br /><br />Janice, the thought has occurred to me, but no penny has dropped as yet. I suppose we’d have to name the device ‘Corsirilexes’.<br />Leigh Lundinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07921276795499571578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-71361132974028614782017-01-01T13:56:19.362-05:002017-01-01T13:56:19.362-05:00I keep thinking of Murray Leinster's story &qu...I keep thinking of Murray Leinster's story "A Logic Named Joe" about a personal computer whose filter goes wonky and it will answer any question, like how to embezzle a bunch of money, how to murder someone and get away with it, ect. Oh, and the story was written in the 1940's! Happy New Year! Jeff Bakerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00316081079528920123noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-39270657291275345042017-01-01T13:15:05.266-05:002017-01-01T13:15:05.266-05:00I don't have a home assistant (at this point, ...I don't have a home assistant (at this point, I don't think I'd want one), so I can't provide additional examples. But I certainly enjoyed these. Happy new year!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17673578800047888317noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-50722094293699341782017-01-01T11:41:30.553-05:002017-01-01T11:41:30.553-05:00Very funny.
Very funny.<br />Robert Loprestihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08844889305615182897noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-83527358195815170062017-01-01T09:21:21.397-05:002017-01-01T09:21:21.397-05:00Nice way to start the new year. Way to go. Descart...Nice way to start the new year. Way to go. Descartes before the horse? Hysterical.O'Neil De Nouxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03142721824657611738noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-43206920807164720332017-01-01T08:19:07.474-05:002017-01-01T08:19:07.474-05:00I keep thinking of a crime either committed or thw...I keep thinking of a crime either committed or thwarted by something like Alexa but I think I should leave that idea to you!<br />Happy New Year!janice lawnoreply@blogger.com