Gary was supposed to go to the dermatologist Tuesday and, hopefully, progress to the next step, which I hoped was to see an allergist. He cancelled the appointment because, "the doctor won't do anything anyway."
This meant that -- when I calmed down -- I needed to cancel the sick day I was taking from work, as I wasn't going to drive him to the appointment, because he seems to have no concern about his health.
"Alexa," I sighed, heavily, "Set a reminder to cancel my fucking sick day.”
But he changes his mind frequently.
"Alexa. Cancel my last reminder."
"Okay," she said. "'Cancel my [booooop] sick day', at 3:17 PM, canceled."
She censored me. Seriously. "Boooooop," she said. Alexa doesn't have a fucking husband, that's all I know.
I laughed out loud at Alexa bleeping your command! It makes me wonder if, when I am calling my fucking US Senators, I should just go ahead and say the cuss words, because maybe they run them through Alexa first.
Posted by: CHM | February 19, 2025 at 07:50 PM
CHM - Good for you, calling your senators. Also, now I want to say fuck to an AI, like a junior high school boy.
[moments later] "What is the fucking problem" was met with "Hey, what’s going on? You alright?"
Did AI answer what I asked? No it did not.
Posted by: theQueen | February 20, 2025 at 04:33 AM
AUGH. But does that mean Gary *is* going to the dermatologist after all? (and there was [tentatively] much rejoicing...)
My guess on the bleeping out is this: with Alexa's regular "hearing impairment" errors, they didn't want some family with small kids who had previously avoided swear-word exposure, or an easily-shocked elderly lady getting sworn at by Alexa when they'd only asked Alexa to remind them about (something with duck, luck, or puck). Word of mouth about "can't have this if you have kids around, that's for sure!" and "not suitable for your elderly relatives" would be a public relations problem for Alexa.
Posted by: KC | February 20, 2025 at 10:16 AM
KC - Nope. Looks like he will not. He might go to the general doctor for a referral. But I haven't seen him do anything but make a promise. And I sympathize with Alexa, I do, just I felt judged.
Posted by: theQueen | February 20, 2025 at 05:34 PM
AUGH. Sorry. I hope this does get somewhere good.
Maybe you can imagine Alexa nodding fervently along with eyes full of relief? Like sometimes you get with government or other official employees, when they are in the position of not being allowed to say certain things either due to professionalism or employment restrictions but they APPRECIATE you saying it for them? ... that is definitely anthropomorphizing something that does not have any anthro-ness *but* so is feeling judged by it, so there is that?
Posted by: KC | February 21, 2025 at 10:51 AM
KC - I love your example of the employees. I have often seen the expressive eyes over the clamped lips. I will thjnk the best of Alexa the next time I feel judged.
Posted by: theQueen | February 22, 2025 at 09:19 AM