Thursday, March 19, 2009

Leprechaun Lights

Unintentionally, my house was decorated for St. Patrick’s Day.

The only time I put lights on my house is for Christmas as I am still at heart a child. My deck has rope lighting as an accent and low level enhancement, but its not intended to be as obvious as Christmas lights. I hate Halloween lights because I think putting orange lights on your house for such a day is stupid. It’s a complete marketing gimmick and doesn’t make sense. Seriously, what’s to celebrate about dead things and witches? If that kind of stuff was really laying on our front lawn, we’d be rather freaked out. We’d call the police and want an animal service to come haul it away.

And electric hearts for Valentine’s? Flashing red and pink. How romantic.

But Tuesday morning as my day was beginning, I couldn’t help but chuckle. I was bombarded with the lights of the little people. There were green LED’s everywhere. Green LED on my stereo. Green LED on my clock radio. Green LED’s on my telephone modem. Green LED’s on my Internet modem. Green LED’s on my wireless router. Green LED on my computer waiting in standby and Green LED on its’ powerblock. Green LED’s all over the printer. Green LED on the microwave. Green LED on the coffeemaker. Green LED on the GFCI circuits in my kitchen. Green LED on the portable DVD player. Green LED on the automatic dishwasher. Green LED on the stove.

How did we ever get to the point that we needed Green LED’s on everything? It sort of reminds me of the “Check Engine” light on the dashboard of my car. What is it telling me really? Pretty soon I expect I’ll see a Green LED on my toothbrush (“… ready for brushingthank you for your cooperation …”)

My house used to be dark at night. Good God! … save me from the electrical engineers!

Today’s Influences and Soundtrack:
Solomon of Israel, Proverbs from the Persian world.
Chad Oliver, Rite of Passage
Isaac Asimov, Foundation and Empire
Jean Sibelius, Symphony No. 7
Bob James, Angels of Shanghai
Moby, Porcelain