A Stunningly Bad Idea

An iPhone cover that turns into a stun gun. ok. Am I the only person who thinks this is a little...crazy.

Short version of the story: After an Army Reservist was attacked in his home, he created a cover for his iPhone which will send a 650K volt of electricity at someone. But could that someone be...you?

See, here is my problem. At any given time of the day, let's just say in NYC, there are thousands of idiots walking down the street with an iPhone to their ear, aware of nothing going on around them. Again, at any given time of the day, a bad guy AKA an evildoer, grabs the iPhone out of the idiots hand and runs away. Now if the idiot had the stun gun cover and tried to get back his phone, the bad guy AKA evildoer, could use the stun gun on ...the idiot.

Can't wait for the first lawsuit to come out of that sequence of events. Not to mention another one the first time someone zaps his own ear with it.

This cover is not yet into production, they are still trying to raise funding for it...quite ingeniously, on the internet. It will cost $125. There is no doubt in my mind, this will be a huge success. The marketing video for the Yellow Jacket has the co-founder relating his personal experience of being accosted and though having firearms and a stun gun in his home...he was helpless because they were not at arm's reach.

It all sounds great until you think of just how many people in reality may be carrying around these mini-stun guns. There are a lot of crazy people out there and you know they will be the first in line to buy them. And how about when they start showing up in places they would normally be prohibited...like airplanes, courthouses or other sensitive areas. Won't that be fun.

The Yellow Jacket website contains all the suitable cautions and disclaimers, but I can't help but think it will only take one malfunction or incident where someone is tasered by accident, for the lawmakers to introduce a law to ban them.

Will it be something both sides of the aisle can agree on?
Well, that would be a shock.

And that's the latest...buzzzzz.
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When Nelson and Lynn were in Istanbul...

So began the conversation. Where it went from that point, I don't know...I stopped listening.

As someone who puts fingers to keyboard in an attempt to create some interesting prose from time to time, I find inspiration in the oddest of places. Yesterday, a very mundane conversation about the different alert sounds I use on my Iphone strayed off course, when "the uncle" spoke those seven words.

"When Nelson and Lynn were in Istanbul."  Now, I've met this couple... but that fact had nothing to do with my fascination with that sentence.  Instead my mind raced with the possibilities. The setting had to be something out of a black & white movie from the 1940s.  Who were Nelson and Lynn... and why were they in Istanbul? 

I could almost picture Nelson standing tall in a double breasted suit and a fedora. Lynn in a tailored suit, a large brooch on her lapel...and on her head, a cloche with a large flower.

Were they undercover agents set to infiltrate a Turkish smuggling ring? Or the hot couple from Hollywood about to film a movie? Or were they just a husband and wife from Long Island on vacation?

As a writer, the possibilities are endless, but the challenge is deciding which direction to take. Will I take this contest to the next level? No, I actually know the answer to who Nelson and Lynn are, and why they were in Istanbul. The point of this exercise is to demonstrate how easily the mind can influence the imagination.

So, who are Nelson and Lynn, and why were they in Istanbul?
Use your imagination.

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Looking For Signs In All The Wrong Places

Must have really pissed off the powers that be yesterday...it happens.

The day began normally enough.Tweets, texts, IMs, emails...a little work, a lot of music. Damn, no wonder I get tired. But I digress.

The ride up to the weekend house was an easy drive, kids off from school means a lot less cars on the road when we travel. Unload, unpack...time to hook up the new router to replace the one that crapped out last weekend. Now, IT is not my thing, but I hooked up the first one in 15 minutes, no problem. So when I pulled the new one out of the box, I didn't expect to be doing it an hour and a half later. Everything hooked up easily, it said I was connected, but no internet access.

After a while of cursing and losing my temper with those around me (not unusual), I call up my go-to person when I run into trouble. He offers a few suggestions, but at the end of the day, he says to call the tech support line. I hate doing that, but I cannot go through another weekend with only one computer connected and especially not having my iPhone hooked into wireless. So I look all over the directions and every piece of paper that comes with the router...no phone number. Apparently it was on the box, but never looked at that until later.

Annoyed...and I haven't had any alcohol yet, I decide to use the iPhone to go to the website and get the phone number. Soon as I hit the internet button on the phone, it starts to connect to the router...hmm. Laptop number one, not yet. Start up laptop number two...yes. Ok, not sure what is happening but let me restart number one and see if works now...indeed it does.

Back to the real world...cyberspace. All the household technology is connected and I now have a beer in my hand. I'm hoping things are looking up.

This morning when I walk the dog, I see a heads-up penny in the street. Big deal you say...well normally I wouldn't give it a second look. But here in the lake community, you never see coins in the street. Everyone either drives or walks around in sweats...no one ever carries money. So, I take it as a good luck omen and pick it up...thinking it might be really bad karma if I don't. Get back home and the "other" has found the crystal which broke off  the necklace I wear. hmmm, another piece of good luck.

Where's my mega million ticket, let me check it NOW. One freakin' number. 

So as much as I would like to believe all my good luck signs will actually turn into good luck, I guess it's just another day with small joys and medium sized disappointments. It still is Saturday, the sun is shining and the whole day awaits. Time to consider the possibilities and jump in.

Still, another few mega numbers would have been nice. Maybe the next drawing...

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IPhone...I Fun

Got an IPhone yesterday.  Never in my life have I delighted so much in a piece of technology.  Finally there is something useful AND fun.

Back in December, I got an email from my friend, the drum-mamma.  In the fall she sent away for tickets to the Anderson Cooper daytime talk show, forgot about it, then received an email from the show with tickets for a specific date.  Wanna go?  A day in the city with a veteran partner-in-crime...hell yeah.

As it turned out, the taping was for the Christmas show and there were gifts. Yay.  After sitting through a feel-good show, kind of boring...and an audience bell-ringing exercise (sorry I don't do class participation...blame it on the attitude thing) they brought out the gifts.  Quite nice, from candy and cupcakes to coffee makers...the damn bell,  and the piece de resistance...a Blackberry Bold.  Very nice, but only for AT&T.  With Verizon the only carrier that makes it out to the boonies (AKA the weekend house), had to sell it and buy my new phone of choice.

Coming home from the store yesterday with the new phone, I was mildly excited.  After playing with it, setting up all my email accounts and the twitter thing...well, it's not better than sex...but definitely better than white bread.  And, I haven't even started downloading apps yet.

Now, on a daily basis I don't lead the most exciting life...although it does have its moments.  But I do try to find enjoyment wherever I can.  Right now, it's a little piece of metal and plastic...it even has some bitch named Siri inside that seems to know everything.

I've officially joined the cult. Lead me to the App store.