I've got ambivalent feelings about being locked down on the tech beat; I keep trying to start writing about movies or books or culture or something actually important, but no editor seems interested in those stories-at least not from me. I'm not really that tech-savvy--I have to work hard to understand the things I write about, and I quickly forget everything I've learned shortly after I write about them. I've dubbed that 'the forgetting curve', and it's the bane of my existence-all this useless knowledge, so hard-earned and so quickly lost in the mists of middle-aged memory loss. The astonishing saturation of the recent wave of tech into our lives is a source of distress to me as well, and I feel like I'm part of the problem--the constant talking on cell phones and texting and removing oneself from experience, the complete inability of a generation to walk down the street and simply think--it's the death of contemplation. What does anyone have left to talk about when they finally see one another in person? It's all very Matrix-y--like we're working for the machines.
Some of these laments have been given a voice by Parker Posey in a Q & A with my editor/buddy Tom at Switched did with her around the opening date of her fine film, Broken English. I like to imagine her answers being delivered in her signature flat inflection that she wields when she's very, very unimpressed.
What gadgets do you always bring with you to the set?
I don't
What cell phone do you have right now and what to you love or hate about it?
Nokia, plain, no flap. It's easy to replace when lost.
Who's the last person you sent a text message to and what was it about?
I don't know.
Where do you go pretty much every time you get online?
A chair or a couch.
What annoys you most about your iPod, cell phone or laptop?
I lose my cell phone a lot. I don't like texting -- it drives me crazy.
Name one thing you wish your iPod, cell phone, or laptop could do that it doesn't do now?
Disappear.
What upcoming gadget can you not wait to get your hands on?
The gadget that will make all the gadgets go away.
You're stranded on a desert island: What gadget do you bring?
The gadget mentioned above.
What's the most played song or artist on your iPod?
The theme song from 'Valley of the Dolls.'
BlackBerry, Sidekick, or Treo?
Sure -- I mean, what?
Are you getting an iPhone -- if so, why?
No, it doesn't make sense.
What's the longest time you've ever spent playing a video game in one sitting and what game was it?
Are you kidding?
Sounds like Miss Posey needs to invest some time in the learning curve before she can glide gracefully down the forgetting curve.
Posted by: MrKeroppi | October 30, 2007 at 01:36 PM