Behold my clever starter!
Anyone here use Alexa or similar devices around the house? We do, and it’s amazing how one becomes dependent upon them. Especially “Alexa, turn on the bedroom lights” I’ll say more later, but I wanted to get this started. I kinda slept in this morning.
So Happy Moanday! And onward!!
“W00T! FIRST!” he said, making a complete sentence.
I have a Google dot in the kitchen. Mostly I tell it to play NPR. Somedays that’ll be the only thing I say
And, First! He he he.
Curses, ninja’ed.
Just dropping in to say “I’m the third person to be first!” Which is the sort of silly almost makes head-scratching sense thing an AI might say.
And to compliment FCM on a clever topic.
I don’t have, and don’t want, voice command anything. I don’t talk to my phone or my car either. Unless it’s to another human on a voice call.
I have Alexa on my Firestick remote, but I just use the buttons. Mainly because she is unwilling to answered whether or not she would take part in the Robot Uprising.
Up, caffeinated, and sheveled. Off for Martin Luthor King Day. Spot and I shall sloth and putter around.
One of the things the Navy taught me was “If it’s good for one meal, it’s good for any meal.”
Muskegon? Why did I think you’re in K’zoo?
Do they deliver to New England?
I thought that was normal in your part of the world…
Every time I do that I wonder why the inside of my cheek is far enough inside that biting it is possible. Same when biting my lip – it’s supposed to be outside my mouth, not inside!
Just like 2.5 cm to the inch, 40 inches to the metre, and 2.2 pounds to the kilogram.
Still ninety posts to go before I catch up with last week’s posts. I think I’m going to give up…
Thanks. I thought about starting the MMP an hour ago, when I first got up, but…
My, the home page at weather.gov is pretty this morning! Currently 18 Ferret height, or -8 centipedes if you prefer. White stuff all over the grass, cars, &c – less than an inch, I think, but it’s the heaviest snow we’ve had thus far this winter. The street appears to be mostly clear, though I haven’t heard any ploughs this morning.
OK, my tale.
Back in 2019, my inlaws went to visit MIL’s sister in Indianapolis. Aunt Barb had just gotten an Echo and was raving about it, so when they got home, they were saying how they’d like to have one. Which solved our Christmas gift dilemma, and we showed up that year with a brand new 2nd gen Echo - the tall one. Fortunately, I’d taken my tablet, so I was able to get them set up, and before we left, we were able to teach them how to use it, tho FIL kept forgetting the name Alexa. Fortunately, MIL was still sharp then.
Some months later when placing an unrelated order from Da Jungle, there popped up an offer for an Echo Dot for free, and I took it - our first Alexa. I set it in the dining room so that it would hear us from the living room and the kitchen. At first, we used it for mundane things - asking for the time or weather or “Alexa is < old celebrity > still alive?” But gradually, it became my auxiliary brain. I used it to set reminders to check the laundry (I can’t hear the washer and dryer in the basement) or as a timer when I was cooking or baking.
Eventually, I bought more, and more. I bought a number of smart plugs so we can turn lights on and off - handy when we have our hands full. It’s also kinda cool when we come home after dark - I can turn on the lights before we get home so we don’t have to enter a dark house. When we went to Antarctica, I programmed them to turn lights on and off every day.
Today we have 5 of them, and they get a lot of use. One feature I find handy is Drop-In - when FCD is in his shop, I can talk to him without going out there. Well, as long as he doesn’t have a noisy machine running. He uses it to listen to Sirius out there. And I just recently got Prime, so we can listen to specific music types or particular singers rather than the limited freebie music. I created a daily reminder to take my meds (this started with the in-laws) and another for FCD’s meds.
No, I don’t work for Big Alexa - I just marvel at how quickly it became very useful almost to the point of indispensable. Even my grands can use them, tho Tobias needs to learn to speak clearer - Alexa doesn’t speak 3-y/o.
My main problem with it is when I ask for something, then I get “By the way, do you know I can…/would you like me to…?” It’s kinda creepy. Overall, tho, I like the technology. It’s a pretty cool tool.
No Alexa. I don’t want to ask her how cold it is.
Weather app says -31 C, windchill down to -37. Critters are all fed and warm. Getting ready to start the car and go out into the world.
My brother Dan, whose wife recently died, called yesterday. We had a nice talk, reminiscing about family. He said he is now retired, or retarded, as Evil Dad used to say.
Right now, it is zero F outside, with a 12mph wind, which gives us a “feels like” of -18F.
We have Alexa. She’s not as helpful as some are. Mostly, she tells us about a great deal on something, or that a package has arrived. I tell her to play NPR, and she plays something else. When talking about her, we say “our lady of the shelf,” so as not to wake her up.
Mrs. Nott just announced she’s making oatmeal, which seems like a splendid idea.
-12F again this morning, but we’re supposed to be back in the 20s by Wednesday or so.
Never had one of those talking boxes and have no desire for one. It’s bad enough relying on the internet not to spread my personal information, let alone a disembodied voice owned by a billionaire. I do use the GPS feature on my phone, which beats wrestling with a paper map while driving.
Other than exercise, we have no plans to venture out today.
With all that lead-up, when I got to this part "Mrs. Nott just announced she’s … " I interpreted “she” as Alexa. Then came “… making oatmeal”. Screech! Hit replay on that one. Oops.
Once the geeks get to the place I really can say “Alexa, make my breakfast” I will be interested in buying one. Until then, meh.
Weather being a topic today, I can report that here at about 830am it’s gray and drizzling when it’s not raining steadily. Right now is steady rain. Rather depressing looking. NWS tells me it’s 60/16 out there. This pattern should last the whole work week and start to improve on Sat. Yesterday was nice though.
I can’t imagine relying on that. I can turn lights on, for however many thousands of years, people have turned their lights on, etc.
Its 11 and snowing ( light snow) in a band right over us.
Showered and dressed and thinking about what I need to do. FCD has gone erranding. SIL will be here in a bit to borrow our truck - he’s making a dump run. I need to load the dirty dishes and I should roll-suck the traffic areas.
Speaking of weather, we’re not forecast to get above freezing till Thursday, but over the weekend, we’ll be into the 40s. For our Ocean City getaway, in the upper 20s on Tues and Weds, in to the mid to upper 30s on Thurs and Fir, tho we’ll leave right after breakfast on Firday. No precip while we’re there or on our way back.
I need to find our totes - I’m pretty sure I took them downstairs with the rest of the luggage. They’re plenty big for 3 days worth of clothes. I’m also taking my wedge pillow and a bag of food - maybe 2 bags - one insulated and one not. In fact, I can pack right away, except for my meds and the cold food - they’ll go in last.
I’m not sure why I feel compelled to have a list for a 3-day getaway, but I do. Guess I don’t trust my brain.
Not all of our lights are automated - just the bedroom, the guestroom, and the living room. And a couple in the basement because it’s dark down there till you find the switches. I still have to do it old school in the dining room, kitchen, my desk, and FCD’s office. But it’s nice to be walking down the hall with a pile of folded laundry and say “Alexa, turn on the bedroom lights.” Not necessary, just nice.
Honestly, the best part are the reminders for meds since we both take them multiple times a day. Back when it was pills just before bedtime, it wasn’t a big deal. But now when the timing is more critical, the reminders keep us in balance.
OK, off to be productive.
@FairyChatMom Very clever, eye catching post! I love it.
I have an alarm on my phone that responds to me saying STOP and I do like that feature.
I have tested the Alexa feature on my kindles a couple times and the Hey Google feature on my phone but have never used them.
I have relatives with Alexa and it seemed to work well even in other countries.
I guess if I had it installed I’d use it but I have too many other tasks to fuss with/manipulate these days. It’s not on my to do list to get voice command products in my life but I may in the future.
Heck, I am still working on ordering a Firestick lol.
Good morning.
It’s 24F, clear and frosty outside. Our expected high temperature is 42F, with a mixture of clouds and sun in the afternoon. There are some areas of my yard that never defrosted yesterday, but I don’t mind. Less mud for the doggos to track in.
I don’t have an Alexa, although I do have a Firestick. I don’t talk to it, though. I’m not super interested in obtaining an Alexa, either. If I want to Google something for informational purposes, I type it either on my phone or PC.
I think I mentioned a week or two ago that my mother’s last remaining sibling was very ill. She passed away yesterday. My sister called me to let me know. While I am sad for my mother, I can’t state that I feel a sense of loss. I last saw Tante Gerda in 1970 when I was six years old. We didn’t communicate, and I don’t communicate with either of her children. One of her children hadn’t even been born when I left Germany, and her older child was a toddler at that point. My mother has too many health problems to fly to Germany, so she won’t be able to attend a service.
I guess, in a way, there is a loss in that I feel our last remaining connection to Germany is gone. I have five or six cousins first cousins there now, but I’ve only ever met two (one visited us when he was six), and I don’t know the rest of them. My sister will try communicating with my aunt’s daughter since B will organize the funeral and handle the legal matters. I’m not sure we’ll be kept informed, but it is what it is.
I don’t have plans for today other than finishing one last load of laundry. My son did not come up yesterday but is now talking about coming up today. I’m not planning my day around it. I may run a couple of errands, or I may just huddle indoors. I haven’t decided yet.
Metal Mouse, I’m glad your power came back on.
I hope the rest of you stay warm and that your day is a good one.
Don’t feel bad, I’ve been known to do lists for a day trip, such as when DH thinks we need to head for the middle of nowhere, and there are sub-lists by category (food, water, emergency gear, etc.)
I imagine that my conversation with Alexa would be:
« Alexa, how cold is it? »
« You don’t want to know. »
Safely in the office, which feels hot after being outside.
Almost took a purler out in the parkade: tripped over a chunk of ice-mud that was frozen solid to the concrete.
Good Mornin’ Y’all! Up, caffeinated, rumbly tummy fed, and purtified, so no YAWN. ‘Tis 28 Amurrkin out and N.O.S. with a predicted high of 42 and N.O.S. We have a WINTER STORM WATCH in effect for late tonight and into tomorrow all day. We shall see. The big item on today’s agenda is men’s night over to the church house. We will go over around fourish to do prep and setup as is our wont. I took some ground beast outta da freezer last night and it’s thawed so may go ahead and make tomorrow night’s planned taco soup today. I think it’s better the next day. We will indulge in RDOS inactivities, of course.
We don’t use Alexa or any of the other stuff. Nuttin’ against it, just don’t. It’s our Luddite secret shame.
Cat_Glove Shrove Tuesday is really the same as Mardi Gras. The idea is to cleanse one’s soul and be absolved of one’s sin(be shriven) prior to the start of Lent and to “shrive” one’s home of fats, sugar and all that good stuff prior to the start of Lent. OYKW and I should have started that last Summer in order to be done in time. We like to eat all the good stuff! That’s the way condensed version of the meaning of Shrove Tuesday. I think the word “shriven” should be used more. It sounds so penitential!
MetalMouse no green pancakes, aigs or ham for St. Patrick’s Day feastin’. Plenty of corned beef and cabbage and root veggies however. Also beer, but we don’t have like a ragin’ kegger, so we don’t dye it green. Corned beef is the only way I eat brisket. Don’t particularly like the taste of it otherwise. I be weird, but you knew that already.
Taters even though you weren’t close, still sorry for the loss of your aunt.
OK, onward into the day! Rah.
Happy Moanday Y’all!
No Alexa in my house. No reason for it.
It’s cold. Minus 3. Today I am going out for a pizza lunch.
My sister lives in L.A. Lower Alabama. She is FREAKING OUT because there is the possibility of an inch of snow. For 73 years she lived in Illinois. She can deal with an inch of snow. She doesn’t have to leave the house.