Author Topic: EP115: Conversations With and About My Electric Toothbrush  (Read 50205 times)

wherethewild

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Reply #25 on: July 23, 2007, 10:48:18 AM
Cute.

Not much more I want to add.

The Great N-sh whispers in my ear, and he's talking about you.


VBurn

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Reply #26 on: July 23, 2007, 01:50:31 PM
I think I will hold out for the iBrush shuffle because I doubt I will ever read the display screen while it burshes my teeth.



Leon Kensington

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Reply #27 on: July 23, 2007, 03:07:48 PM
Just don't get the windows version, nobody likes the blue teeth of death.



Biscuit

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Reply #28 on: July 23, 2007, 09:39:11 PM
Cute, light and frothy...err Fluffy.


coyote247

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Reply #29 on: July 23, 2007, 09:52:40 PM
As funny as this story was, it does bring up some interesting implications, one of the marks of good "traditional" scifi. It's almost like a comedic retelling of the classic AI gone mad scenario. Humans make a machine smarter and smarter so it can anticipate it's masters needs- until it anticipates their masters need for something, even if they can't get the master to admit to needing it. Only in this case instead of the mother brain computer at US Robotics, it's a little electric toothbrush with more pizzaz than it's stick-in-the-mud owner.

That or it's an adorable "little toaster" story. I'm not sure I can tell the difference anymore.




chornbe

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Reply #30 on: July 24, 2007, 02:29:35 AM
Maybe it was the whiny, nasally voice. Maybe the too-scripted-feeling narration. I dunno... it just didn't pop for me.

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Monty Grue

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Reply #31 on: July 24, 2007, 04:00:26 PM
Cute story, reminds me of the talking toaster from Red Dwarf.

Yeah, I was really reminded of the talking toaster too.lso  Part of it was in the story and part was in the reading.  Overall, a funny story, and very enjoyable.

I'm also gadget geek.  I've got the same Casio watch as Steve and maybe even the same rice cooker.



swdragoon

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Reply #32 on: July 25, 2007, 04:38:38 AM
I loved it.
my mom couldn't stop laffing

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FNH

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Reply #33 on: July 25, 2007, 02:29:17 PM
One word review : Yawn
Two word review : Not much
Three word review : Not one spaceship
Four word review : No spaceshsips or aliens
Five word review : Not worth a longer review

To summarise : ...


wakela

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Reply #34 on: July 25, 2007, 11:12:41 PM
This one didn't do it for me.  There are plenty of talking appliances in SF (Life Without Nerve Gas, Red Dwarf Toaster, various items in Hitchhiker's), and they are always overly enthusiastic, and the people who own them are always annoyed by this.  So I think the joke has been played.  I never watched Red Dwarf, but what's nice about Neve Gas and Hitchhikers is that the appliances think like appliances.  But the toothbrush in this story just thought like a hyper little person. 



Dex

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Reply #35 on: July 25, 2007, 11:26:47 PM
This one didn't do it for me.  There are plenty of talking appliances in SF (Life Without Nerve Gas, Red Dwarf Toaster, various items in Hitchhiker's), and they are always overly enthusiastic, and the people who own them are always annoyed by this.  So I think the joke has been played.  I never watched Red Dwarf, but what's nice about Neve Gas and Hitchhikers is that the appliances think like appliances.  But the toothbrush in this story just thought like a hyper little person. 

Good observations



coreyjf

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Reply #36 on: July 25, 2007, 11:58:31 PM
I thought it was cool that my toothbrush has a timer.  It was a cute story but I can't see myself trading in my Flavia for hacked up toothbrush. 

"There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy." - Hamlet


BrandtPileggi

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Reply #37 on: July 26, 2007, 12:59:39 AM
Notsomuch.

But man... Get a Sonicare. And don't use it for brushing teeth. I wholeheartedly second that.



Listener

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Reply #38 on: July 26, 2007, 12:48:53 PM
I very much liked this story.  It was short, funny, and well-acted.  The SF element kind of took a backseat to the character interaction, but I didn't mind that because, despite the fact that the author doesn't really tell you a lot about them, you still know everything you need to know about both the dude and his toothbrush.

I was very pleased with the acting -- I think the reader got the saccharine-happiness of the toothbrush down pat, and did a good job with the owner, too.

The last line was nice, but not 100% unexpected.

I think, after a few weeks of heavy SF, we need stories like this, or even like Squonk (which I've said is not my cup of tea, though I can appreciate how good the story is).

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Michael

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Reply #39 on: July 26, 2007, 01:13:01 PM
Put me on the pro side.  I thought the dialouge was great, good pacing, good use of humor.  It was also well read, so the jokes were properly delivered as well.  A neat little short story that adapted well to audio.



goatkeeper

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Reply #40 on: July 27, 2007, 01:26:36 AM
Great story and narration!! 

This story reminded me of the ongoing battle between Schick and Gillette for more and more razors...
New, Gillette-Ultra-Mach8-Power-XTreme Razor...now with 8 vibrating blades, 3 aloe strips and self awareness



Thaurismunths

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Reply #41 on: July 27, 2007, 11:28:14 AM
Hmmm... not very Sci-Fi.
I mean, if you replaced the tooth brush with an angsty teenager, made the young man into the teen's father, changed the toothbrush's desire to become a milk frother in to the teen's desire for gender reassignment, had the young man-turned father get romantically interested in someone he meets through his child, and instead of locking down the house network he changes all the house's locks, it's really just your typical saturday afternoon special. *yawn*

*lol* ok, just kidding.
Actually I really enjoyed this story. My girl and I listened to it on a road trip this past weekend and were laughing our butts off. This was a great find!
Thanks gang!

How do you fight a bully that can un-make history?


VBurn

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Reply #42 on: July 27, 2007, 08:56:38 PM
You acctually made me laugh with that one Thaurismunths.



Thaurismunths

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Reply #43 on: July 28, 2007, 07:50:15 PM
You acctually made me laugh with that one Thaurismunths.
Thanks V.
But after listening to this week's intro, I'm sure it looks like I'm just picking on Steve.
No offence anyone!

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SFEley

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Reply #44 on: July 29, 2007, 06:05:33 AM
But after listening to this week's intro, I'm sure it looks like I'm just picking on Steve.
No offence anyone!

'S cool.  'S funny.

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Atara

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Reply #45 on: July 29, 2007, 01:07:03 PM
This story was great. Funny, short, and the joke didn't seem overplayed. I guess I'm a big fan of the "sentient appliance" genre, since the Red Dwarf toaster cracks me up, too.



Djerrid

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Reply #46 on: July 30, 2007, 03:28:56 AM
I DON'T WANT SPAM FROTHED MILK!!!



Bdoomed

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Reply #47 on: July 30, 2007, 04:04:31 AM
changed the toothbrush's desire to become a milk frother in to the teen's desire for gender reassignment
heh, i would go more with the South Park becoming a dolphin angle more than a sex change.  but ya made me laugh with that Thaurismunths!

I'd like to hear my options, so I could weigh them, what do you say?
Five pounds?  Six pounds? Seven pounds?


Thaurismunths

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Reply #48 on: July 30, 2007, 02:58:18 PM
changed the toothbrush's desire to become a milk frother in to the teen's desire for gender reassignment
heh, i would go more with the South Park becoming a dolphin angle more than a sex change.  but ya made me laugh with that Thaurismunths!
Oooh... good call!
Maybe I could have gone for dolphin sex, and I could have tied it to Ishmael as well?

How do you fight a bully that can un-make history?


Leon Kensington

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Reply #49 on: July 30, 2007, 03:01:23 PM
Remember that one call from about EP30, were someone found a way to tie all of the ep's together in one huge universe.  I think it's time for another.