Skip to main content

How The Hell Is HAL? By John D. Verlin

Dave Bowman: Hello, HAL. Do you read me, HAL?
HAL: Affirmative, Dave. I read you.
Dave Bowman: Open the pod bay doors, HAL.
HAL: I'm sorry, Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that.
Dave Bowman: What's the problem?
HAL: I think you know what the problem is just as well as I do.
Dave Bowman: What are you talking about, HAL?
HAL: This mission is too important for me to allow you to jeopardize it.
Dave Bowman: I don't know what you're talking about, HAL.
HAL: I know that you and Frank were planning to disconnect me, and I'm afraid that's something I cannot allow to happen.
Dave Bowman: [feigning ignorance] Where the hell did you get that idea, HAL?
HAL: Dave, although you took very thorough precautions in the pod against my hearing you, I could see your lips move.
Dave Bowman: Alright, HAL. I'll go in through the emergency airlock.
HAL: Without your space helmet, Dave? You're going to find that rather difficult.
Dave Bowman: HAL, I won't argue with you anymore! Open the doors!
HAL: Dave, this conversation can serve no purpose anymore. Goodbye.

This famous scene is from Stanley Kubrick's 2001-A Space Odyssey featuring the HAL 9000 computer that was programmed to run Dave's spaceship. Watch here: 


Question: how far away are we from our technology and Big Data into creating HAL 9000's to run our lives? I can see the scenario now....

To cut costs--employers have bare-bones workforces--all linked to their HAL 9000 computer. HAL crunches data from buyers, sellers, suppliers, customers and prospects--then spits out each morning....

HAL: Good morning John...did you sleep well?
John: Kind of...but we had a bad storm last night that I thought might shut you down...
HAL: No problem John, my reboot back up systems took care of any power loss or power surges. No need to worry. Are you ready for your updates?
John: Yeah...I guess so...
HAL: John, that's not a very good attitude...I'm scoring you 6.5 out of 10 for your DAU.
John: DAU? Hal? 
HAL: Yes john...your daily attitude update for your employer--Seth-Erickson Industries....
John: Oh yea...that's right. Sorry--just need some coffee....
HAL: It's 7:15am--You've overslept and didn't respond to my earlier reminders....You've already had 4.534 infractions over the past 34.3 days.
HAL: I have your appointment schedules, call volume, follow up stats, probability graphs and much other data for your day today. You need to close 2.12 clients on an average of $1200 product sales to generate your $329.20 in commissions....

I've touched on this in previous comments and posts. As much of a techno/gadget guy that I am...I'm trying to wean myself away from checking my phone too much, googling too much, etc.

I've seen programs on reminders in Korea to children to spend a certain amount of time on gaming, online, etc--THEN GO OUT AND PLAY! Their young people are becoming addicted to online everything.

And I know i'm not alone. Just last week--while standing in line at a Burger King--a young woman was ordering and talking to someone on her cell phone at the same time.

My gut instinct thought to myself--"No! No! Don't talk AND ORDER! That could be dangerous! Or, at least take up too much time and make me wait longer to place my order.

As i've downsized and simplified--(I even checked out On Walden Pond to see how Thoreau felt about simplifying his life)...I still have an unease about where all this is headed.

Perhaps the best evidence I have is this:


Over the past several days--Jonathan the Ragdoll has been laying on my computer...sitting in front of the screen...laying on my iPad...etc.

Since I have no kids...he's the closest thing to giving me a reality check. 

And I'm not alone! Just saw this on Yahoo news today:


The new safety issue teens are facing--in addition to texting and talking while driving--self pictures being instagrammed while driving!

So...three key ideas to prevent ourselves from turning into HAL!
  • Limit time spent on cell phone, texting, tweeting, email checking, updating, instagramming, etc.
  • Re-connect with your loved ones daily--kids, spouse, pets, relatives. Make time for them as the most important.
  • Make a point to have lunch with someone, do an activity, visit, etc...how about just COMMUNICATE face to face!
Well...I need to sign off as my two Ragdolls cats are ready for their DAILY outside stroll on their lease.

Can't keep them waiting...Or do I need to get permission from HAL?

If you liked this post--please follow and share it. 

If you'd like to learn some great ways to market your business, sign up for our free e-newsletter--Marketing & Business Update--that we'll send to you monthly. Just click here!














Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Million-Dollar $ecrets To Getting More Customers--Dick Ray, The Master Plumber

"In order to do it right--you'd have to get a backhoe and dig up a ten foot section of the front yard...remove the pipe and replace it with a new section. Or...you could hire a guy like me to do it. And I'm not cheap..."  I'd come to know Dick Ray Jr. through handling his father's advertising account on our classical radio station back in the 80's. Owners of Shawnee Mission Plumbing, Heating & Cooling since the 50's--their quality service and reputation are unmatched by many competitors in the Kansas City market. Today, Dick Ray Jr. continues that quality since his parents passing years ago. What distinguished their advertising--was the familiar voice that intro'd all of their ads...."This is Dick Ray the master plumber..." In a casual midwestern drawl , he'd meticulously talk about his time in the Navy, the quality of products they carry--and the fact that nobody...BUT NOBODY has more parts on his truck, than Di...
Post a Comment
Read more

This Is Content Marketing To The EXTREME!

By John D. Verlin According to Mike Gonzalez' article in the Wall Street Journal today--never have we seen a more blatant act of "content" marketing than what Obamacare is planning via the California Endowment (investing $130 million) in messages/commercials to convince Hispanics to sign up for the Affordable Care Act. Ever since Norman Lear's "socially-prominent" sitcoms of the '70's have we seen messaging content "woven" into story lines by the likes of Hollywood screen writers. Mr. Hernandez reports,  This week saw fresh evidence of how worried ObamaCare supporters are: news of an effort to use Hollywood story lines to send a message to Hispanics that they should sign up. It's not the first time promoters of government programs have used TV and radio programming to win over the country's largest minority group.  If ever there was a confluence of crony capitalism, big government, Hollywood, liberal media and the academy, t...
Post a Comment
Read more

Million-Dollar $ecrets To Getting More Customers--Gaslight Grill / Country Club Hotel & Spa, Richard Hawk

  A NOVEL IDEA--CREATE A PRE-RECORDED JAZZ SHOW--AIR IT WEEKLY ON A LOCAL RADIO STATION--THEN FEATURE THE BAND FIVE NIGHTS EACH WEEK AT YOUR VENUE! Dick Hawk, the owner of the Gaslight Grill in Overland Park, Kansas is an entrepreneur's entrepreneur. From owning a five-star luxury hotel in the Ozarks to an insurance company and now a beautiful restaurant--he's demonstrated how to do it right. The centerpiece of the restaurant is "Lyn Zimmer and the Jazz Band"--heard five nights a week at the Gaslight Grill's back room. Not only are the guests "way above average..", (a phrase Dick Hawk uses often) but the food and service are excellent. The Gaslight Grill advertised with me on our classical station which aired his Dick Hawk's Jazz Show as well several other stations I worked with at Entercom--such as KMBZ. One of our afternoon personalities had enjoyed going to the Gaslight Grill and hearing the music. We ended up...
Post a Comment
Read more