# Alas, poor Alexa, I knew her --- YEAGGGHHHH! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 16, 2017, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alas-poor-alexa-i-knew-her-yeaggghhhh/782312 "2017-03-16T15:29:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2017, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alas-poor-alexa-i-knew-her-yeaggghhhh/782312/1 "2017-03-16T15:29:25Z")
> [@](#): > > A tech geek has turned an Alexa, Amazon’s AI personal assistant, into a talking skull who will deliver information to you through its chattering teeth. > The creepy cranium is also equipped with a set of unblinking eyes. If one is unfortunate enough to make direct eye contact with it, they will be left with a feeling that the bot has eaten a part of their soul. > Mike McGurrin, a computer and robotics hobbyist, used the Amazon Echo smart speaker to create his animatronic abomination as part of The Yorick Project, which he discussed in detail on his Aspiring Roboticist blog. > “I like to decorate for Halloween, including various talking skeletons that I’ve set up over the years,” he explained in the blog. “For Christmas 2015, my wife gave me a great 3 axis talking skull with moving eyes so I could upgrade one of the skeletons from just a moving jaw skull.” > In the video you can see the skull deliver the weather. > **[Man Turned An Alexa Into A Talking Skull That Is The Stuff Of Nightmares](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/amazon-alexa-talking-skull_n_58c9b77de4b00705db4bf02a?ugvl=)** > > Don’t look it in the eyes. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stainless_steel_rat/32/5727_2.png) [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stainless_Steel_Rat)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2017, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alas-poor-alexa-i-knew-her-yeaggghhhh/782312/2 "2017-03-16T16:02:46Z")
DId anyone else, reading the title of the OP, think it had something to do with the opening of CSI: Miami? Or is it just me. Regarding the OP, it’s a fun talking point for about 2-3 days, then I’d find it boring, IMHO. But people are weird, so… ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2017, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alas-poor-alexa-i-knew-her-yeaggghhhh/782312/3 "2017-03-16T20:33:03Z")
It looks like Achmed, The Dead Terrorist. ---
**Author:** ![bobkitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c67d28/32.png) [@bobkitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobkitty)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2017, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alas-poor-alexa-i-knew-her-yeaggghhhh/782312/4 "2017-03-16T21:29:02Z")
I WANT ONE. Then I can name it Bob and argue with it about magic. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2017, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alas-poor-alexa-i-knew-her-yeaggghhhh/782312/5 "2017-03-16T22:58:45Z")
I’m not really interested in Alexa and have some privacy concerns. But I’d pay good money for Rob Paulsen to record a version of Morte from Planescape: Torment. They have had Dan Castellaneta do a Homer GPS guide so why not? ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2017, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alas-poor-alexa-i-knew-her-yeaggghhhh/782312/6 "2017-03-16T23:14:49Z")
Want! I would also like to know how he got his Alexa to respond with “yes” when addressed.