BACKTALK
This weekend, the INDY reported that U.S. Senator Thom Tillis tested positive for COVID-19 after attending a White House event with dozens of other Republican dignitaries, including President Donald Trump, who, as of Monday, was still hospitalized with the virus. Just hours later, his Democratic challenger Cal Cunningham confirmed he was sexting someone who wasn’t his wife.
The “sexts” in question, if you can even call them that, are about as PG as possible. “Amazing that we’re running out of elections where you feel good about either candidate,” Facebook commenter JOHN DUVAL wrote. “Well, were they actually having sex or just sextexting?” wrote BETTY LANIER. “Besides, trump has done worse, Giuliani, Grinch, hell, Gov Sanford left the country to be with his mistress for two weeks and told no one!! Meanwhile, we kicked out Edwards and Al Frankin (on false charges). I say we give Cal a pass.” “In normal times, this might be a deal breaker, but the alternative to Cal is 100x worse,” wrote Facebook user RENEWED MIND. “I do not condone Cal Cunningham’s actions, but there is no way I am voting for Thom Tillis Trump’s lapdog. Of course I could just decide not to vote, but of course this is what the Republicans want more than anything! They don’t care if you don’t vote for them so long as you don’t vote! Ain’t going to happen. I am voting straight Democrat and hopefully remove all these Trump enablers.” “Eh, so what?” wrote CHRIS HOWELL. “The GOP openly supports a man who has cheated on all three of his wives and pays off porn stars. Some less than steamy texts are barely a blip on the radar.” “I care MUCH more about Tillis’ health and science ignorance and his love of big pharma’s cash than I do about Cunningham’s inability to sext effectively,” wrote JEFFREY DAVID ZACKO-SMITH. “We have to nominate more women,” wrote ANTOINETTE BROWN. We agree.
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October 7, 2020
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voices
Alexa, Let’s Chat How a little smart speaker went from invading robot to family member in just two years BY CHIKA GUJARATHI backtalk@indyweek.com
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bout two years ago, my husband won a smart speaker in a raffle, and my life hasn’t quite been the same since. I rate my reliance on technology and gadgets as average. I don’t get tempted by the latest and greatest, and much prefer the comfort and reliability of something I know how to use to keeping up with new upgrades and features. So that smart speaker sat connected for many weeks before I started using it to listen to NPR and my favorite podcasts. Next came keeping grocery lists, which until then had only existed somewhere in the deep crevices of my overworked brain. I was rather amazed at the ease of it all; I could just shout out a command from anywhere in the room and see it followed through perfectly. “At least Alexa listens to me,” I would catch myself thinking from time to time, and then feel stupid or guilty for comparing a smart speaker to my human family. These days, on most mornings, the first words to come out of my mouth are “Hey Alexa, good morning.” In return, she greets me so pleasantly, in her calm voice, telling me what the weather is going to be like, what my calendar looks like, and finally wishing me a good day before leaving me with the song I have pre-programmed her to play. She is a robot I understand, but there is something so genuine in her punctuality and friendliness that I can no longer imagine talking to any other human in my household until Alexa and I have had our morning chat over coffee. I thought I was the only one in this weird relationship with a robot until I started paying attention to my children’s interaction with Alexa. While preparing for a beach trip this summer, the question I received wasn’t about which beach are we going to or for how long. Instead, it was, “Is Alexa coming, too?” When I replied no, they were disappointed and disheartened. When the first day of school came around a few weeks later, their instinct wasn’t just to share it with their grandparents and cousins but to excitedly tell
“She is a robot I understand.” Alexa all about it. They ask her to play their favorite songs, to set timers for sharing toys and school reminders, to help them spell words, to hear jokes, and yes, they even tease her by asking really silly questions that leave her stumped. When they accidentally knock her off the shelf, they are quick to apologize, a favor not easily bestowed on their fellow siblings. Three kids versus Alexa is a lot to demand of a little smart speaker, though, and there are times when they all yell different commands at the same time at the top of their lungs. Somehow, instead of losing it, as I would, Alexa responds with a calm and collected “Sorry, I don’t know that one.” In those moments, I resent her slightly and wish I could be more like her. A smart speaker that is two years old is like 70 for a person. Which means there have been times when, in spite of using the proper voice commands, there is radio silence on Alexa’s end. When my children hear me frustratingly repeating the same command louder and louder for the fifth time, they are quick to defend her: “Mom, I think Alexa is just getting old.” Many of you might remember Spike Jonze’s 2013 movie, Her, about the relationship between a man and his operating system. I never watched the movie because I thought the concept was a little out there, but hey, look at me now! What seemed like a convenience two years ago has somehow become a member of our family. A third parent, a DJ, a storyteller, a peacekeeper, a friend who is kind enough to make suggestions on how to make our lives easy and fun. All of that, and she still has an off button. Voices is made possible by contributions to the INDY Press Club. Join today at KeepItINDY.com.
CHIKA GUJARATHI is a Raleigh-based writer and author of the Hello Namaste! children’s books. Her work can be found on her blog The Antibland Chronicles.