New technology still amazes me. Although I grew up in an era of quick changes (vinyl records to 8-track, then cassettes to CDs, and of course VHS tapes to DVDs, and now Blu-ray) advancements in computers, television, and everyday communication still boggle my mind.
Steve and I had an opportunity to go to the movies this past weekend and decided to go see Men In Black III. We loved the first two films of the trilogy and just knew that the newest installment was sure to be a winner. Looking for a theatre online— no need to go buy a paper and check the listings— we stumbled across a venue for the ultimate in movie-going pleasure, the theatres at Long Beach Towne Center East. Holy mackerel! Not only was Men In Black III being shown there, it was being shown in three different technological versions in three different theatres!
Having our choice of what we call small, medium or larger-than-life, which translates to regular screen, 3-D, or IMAX 3-D, we chose the third. Boy, did we make the right choice. We hadn’t been to the movies in years. Seeing Will Smith, Josh Brolin and Tommy Lee Jones up close and personal was an incredible experience. We give it a two-thumbs-up.
Speaking of technology, Wednesday morning at about 3am, our phone rang. All I could think was, “This can’t be good!” On the other end of the line was a female voice recording from the Signal Hill Police Department with the following message: “This is Senior Officer Crista Martinez with the Signal Hill Police Department. Edison is reporting a power outage in the 2700 block of 20th Street in Signal Hill. The power outage occurred in Long Beach; however, it is affecting Signal Hill residents. Edison is aware of the problem and is on scene to repair the damage. Call Edison for updates.”
Catching only the basic message (hey, I was asleep) I went back to bed and figured I’d call the police station in the morning to get the rest of the story. After breakfast I logged on to my computer and found a message with the transcription of the phone message delivered to us hours earlier. Also included in the email was a button marked “Listen to Message” where I could have clicked to hear the original announcement. Amazing! At the bottom of the email were these words: This email has been sent to you by the City of Signal Hill. To maximize their communication with you, you may be receiving this e-mail in addition to a phone call with the same message. If you wish to discontinue this service, please inform the City of Signal Hill either in person, by U.S. Mail, or by telephone.
Ah, technology; what will they think of next?
