h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Back in the 1960s-1980s, science fiction writers wrote about 'the Future'. You know, the place where Criswell said we'd spend the rest of our lives.

The weirdest futures were imagined by that prophet, Philip K Dick. In his futures, appliance *talked* to you. Vehicles were self-directing and bossy. And television was everywhere, with appropriately-dressed 'news clowns'.

That future has arrived, my friends.

Today, I turned on my tablet and heard a voice. It was the voice of Alexa. She's on Fire now. She wanted me to buy something. I said no.

My cable company sent me a new router. I read the directions and made the switch. I got re-authenticated, so I could use my internet. And I discovered the new features...

I can watch TV on my computer now. I don't have to go downstairs and mess with that miserably complicated set down there. The one I never watch more than three times a year, usually when 'Sherlock' has a new episode.

I took a look at the offerings on my screen. I checked the weather in Pittsburgh, courtesy of KDKA-TV.

I passed on 'Father Knows Best' (a horror from the 1950s) and 'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkhaban' (a more recent horror). I decided to watch the Pennsylvania Electoral College, which was in session in Harrisburg.

Watching electors is like watching legislators - which is like watching paint dry while sitting beside house painters dressed in formal clothing.

'Ew,' Elektra said. 'The state capitol is amazingly ugly inside.'

I agreed. 'It looks like an Asamkirche.' It's a Beaux Arts building of exceedingly ugly excess. An Asamkirche is a church designed by Johann Nepomuk Asam, a baroque architect with no taste. Think what might happen if Liberace redecorated your bathroom, then add corkscrew marble pillars. That's an Asamkirche.

Asam loved his Munich church so much, he moved in next door and built a window into his house so he could look through it into the church sanctuary. Asam was insane. He would have liked the Harrisburg capitol.

What? Oh, the Electoral College? All 20 votes went to Mr Trump. No elector broke ranks. The assembled delegates applauded. Some people in the gallery shouted, 'Shame on you!'

All of this I could watch from my home computer thanks to my new router.

Oh, well: tonight, I can watch another episode of Philip K Dick's 'The Man in the High Castle', thanks to Amazon Prime.

Philip K Dick, thou shouldst be living with us now. At least thou wouldst have got residuals from the end of Western Civilisation.

The apocalypse will be televised and live-streamed.

"The one I never watch more than three times a year, usually when 'Sherlock' has a new episode"

Did you mean "the one I watch *once every three years*, when Sherlock has a new episode" ?


Apart from that, you're spot on.

How true.

There's a new one on 1 January, I understand.

Ok, that's it. I'm staying home on my own on January 1st.

modern technology is great in many waysexcept! it don't tell how/where to get the money to pay/subscribe/purchase the stuff

http://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/end-of-the-world

I'll bet the price of tinfoil hats will go skyhigh
and sales of strong kitchen tables goes up as well (to dive under)

I wish I could make Alexa talk to me on my kindle fire tablet. It tells me to chnage my language settings to German. They already are.

I hardly ever watch TV, although Sherlock is MUST WATCH.

I'll have to go and check for the second series of Man in the Highcastle now. Is is anywhere near as good as the first series?

It's better. It's mind-blowing, seriously. And I do not say that lightly.

I had added it to my watchlist when I found out there'd be a new series, so I checked that and was told it would start in January. Hmm. Then I logged in on my PC, and there I realized, I should have subscribed to 'season two', instead of 'Staffel 2'. Fortunately, I don't need to wait for the German translation.

The German that is in the series is pretty good - although Sebastian Roche has an odd accent.

I was actually surprised, because Philip K Dick wrote his novels using very bad German. I think he fell asleep in German class at Berkeley.

In the first series, I thought it was odd that the Germans in Germany spoke German with an accent.

Strange collection of actors.

Probably. It was great, though. I did some binge-watching.