2016-04-20 09:30 Humanity and robots
Y (Kuma's owner)
I think most people love movies. I love movies too. My favorites are heart-warming, funny movies like comedy, and science fiction.
I have been trying to see movies a lot because it's good for improving hearing in English, and also most DVDs have subtitles, which is very convenient for me. Even if I can't catch the words, I can understand what is being said by reading the subtitles.
However, I have an issue that it is quite difficult to understand the jokes in comedies. I need to know the background of the society or country where the movie has been made, otherwise there's nothing funny. Another reason for difficulties with comedies is the slang words. I didn't learn slang words at school. One of the few comedies that I could understand was "Back to the future". Therefore, to me SF movies are much easier than comedies.
My recent favorite SF movie is definitely "Interstellar". There are so many SF movies with beautiful 3D graphics. I love them too, but sometimes I feel a bit disgusted by the design that is conscious of the near future.
One of the reasons I like "Interstellar" is the shape of robots. The robots in the movie, TARS and CASE are not humanoid type of robots, they are just boxes. Yes, they really are! Maybe I have seen so many humanoid robots in movies and got tired of them.
I can understand that it's fun to see humanoids. Their bodies are similar to ours and we can feel familiar with them, but still I prefer TARS and CASE. If robots can move in any way, by wheels or caterpillars, I think that's enough. There's no need for them to be humanoids. To me, having a head, eyes, and even a mouth are extra parts.
Another reason I like "Interstellar" is that TARS and CASE have a sense of humor. Despite their mechanical looks, they can make jokes. That makes me feel that they are more human than humanoid robots.
If I could have a robot, I would choose the one that has a sense of humor set to 70%*, rather than a humanoid. Let me see, 50% is good enough at the moment, maybe.
*In the movie, the robots can be set to have a sense of humor of any percentage.
2016-04-18 10:00 Waiting for autumn
Y (Kuma's owner)
Finally, autumn has arrived and is just around the corner. Yes, I mean it has not arrived here yet. Today is a bit hot. I am still wearing short sleeve T-shirts and short pants, and writing this journal using an electric fan. See, it's not autumn.
I've been waiting for autumn because I bought vegetable seeds that can be sown in autumn. I've got broad beans, snow peas and snap peas. I have some Japanese vegetable seeds as well that I have bought from an online store. How convenient online shopping is!
Australia is a land that has peculiar vegetation and it is very strict to inspection of live plants and animals. So, I'm happy that some gardening nurseries sell Japanese vegetable seeds. If they don't sell Japanese vegetable seeds, I don't think I would have grown them because it takes lots of time and trouble for applying seeds for quarantine.
Since I started my kitchen garden, my refrigerator has not been jammed, because I can pick vegetables when I need them. I don't have to keep them in the refrigerator which is good.
People who love growing vegetables used to say that they can eat safe food. That's right, but more than that, gardening is good for my health. I believe gardening is a kind of sports. Digging holes, carrying heavy soil and heavy sprinkling make it a sporty hobby.
Autumn is coming soon. The busy gardening season will begin.
2016-04-16 20:02 The monster in my house
Kuma the Cat
We cats know a secret of our house. Believe or not, there is a monster in our house.
It's usually in the storage area under the stairs. I guess the storage is a nest. It looks similar to an Opabinia. Do you know what an Opabinia is? They were creatures that lived in the Cambrian sea. At first, I thought that the monster was a mutant of the Opabinia, but it lives in the storage without any water, so the possibility of it being an Opabinia is low. It's difficult to define the type of creature that has never been found, isn't it? I can understand how biologists experience difficulties.
The monster comes out of the storage on a regular basis. I think it comes out to find food. It has three legs and Opabinias had five eyes. Coincidentally, both of them have an odd number of body parts. Then, I recalled a book that I had read long ago. The ancient creatures were born underwater and they expanded the habitat from sea to land. I reconsidered that the monster might be an evolved descendant of the Opabinia. If my guess is correct, I have to write an essay and contribute an article to Nature, meow.
The other features are its roar and long tail. It roars so badly and loudly while eating. It has a big body but eats tiny little things on the floor. It's not surprising if it eats something small, because the biggest mammal, the Blue Whale, eats tiny krills.
The tail of the monster is narrow as a cord. The tip of the tail has three stingers like a scorpion. Aha, it must be poisonous. We cats have to be very careful when it comes out of the storage nest.
The monster seems to be attracted to our humans. It always walks with a human like a dog. Unlike its appears, it may be lonely.
My cat family, Mittan and Midon are frightened and have never ever got close to the monster. I think that the monster just pretends to be strong, but there's nothing to be afraid of.
All right, I am going to be a friend of the monster. If we could get along well, it won't prick me with its stingers, and I can check what kind of creature it is.
Now, what should I do first to become a friend? Maybe I should find out its name. This is a basic courtesy, you know? Hey, human. What is the full name of that monster? What? You must know the monster! That red noisy one that always sleeps in the storage area under the stairs. What? O.K.
I'm going to be friends with the Vacuum Cleaner, meow.