Day 9: “Bedtime Chats with a Canine & a Kitten” TW: Thank you for locating a deck of cards, Ms. Noodle. I’m sorry that the dictionary was too large for the two of you to carry up the stairs. Gatsby, if you are sure our human’s telephone can define words, then we don’t need an actual dictionary. You’re certain? GG: Yes, Sir, I’m sure. I’ve seen our human speaking into it asking all kinds of questions to this nice robot lady that lives in her phone. You just push this button and the lady answers your question! NM: Yeah, I’ve seen it, too. When I ride in the car our human is always asking her phone lady stuff about how to get places, and then the robot lady tells her which way to point the car. TW: Now that I recall, our human did speak peculiarly into her phone while I was in that horrible cage en route from New York. NM: Oh, bummer… you got “the cage?” GG: The cage isn’t so bad… they gave you lots of treats, right? NM: Man, I could use some treats. What kind did they give, Sir Tumble? TW: Let’s get back to our “word rummy” game, shall we? GG: Yes! I am ready to push the button. NM: And I am ready to deal the cards! TW: All right, then. Gatsby, please close the door slowly and quietly so our human doesn’t suspect we’re using her telephone for this exercise. GG: Absolutely, Sir. She’s sitting in her office typing on her computer, and I don’t even think she knows her phone is up here on the nightstand. TW: Well, done. Ms. Noodle, would you kindly deal each of us ten cards. NM: Can do! Okay, so ten cards each, so twenty-four cards total, right? Wait. No. Okay. Starting over. One, one, one… two, two, two… three, three, three. TW: Ms. Noodle? You can count silently. Gatsby, when you’re ready to push the button, you can ask the robot to define the word, “velocity.” GG: Got it, “velocity.” Okay, here I go… never done this before, so it may take.. (pushing center button carefully with one claw) (phone beeps). Please define the word “velocity.” (phone beeps again) Siri: “I don’t know the city you are located in, but I can search the Internet if you like.” GG: She is so nice, isn’t she? TW: Gatsby! She thinks we’re asking her for a “city” not the word “velocity.” Try again. GG: Oh… sorry. NM: Seven, seven, seven – no, wait – eight, eight, eight, eight.. uh, oh, was that eight or nine? GG: (Slowly talking into the phone) Please define the word “veh-lah-seh-tee.” (phone beeps) Siri: “A settee is a long seat that two or more people can sit on.” TW: (Grabbing the phone from Gatsby). Velocity! Velocity! Not settee! (phone beeps again) Siri: “Yahtzee is a dice game invented by Milton Bradley.” NM: Ooh, a dice game! I love dice! GG: I think she said it’s a “mice” game. That sounds way more fun.
Posted on: Wed, 29 Jan 2014 05:25:57 +0000