vvvexation: (Default)
[personal profile] vvvexation
The occupants of one of the houses down the block, in addition to having strung lights over every bit of their house imaginable, have also put up what appear to be electric bells. That is, there's a string of bells of varying tones that go "ding" at random intervals, and from what I can tell are attached to a cord and controlled by some sort of electric device. Modern technology--or to be more precise, the uses to which modern technology is put--will never cease to amaze me.

Then again, less modern technology can be put to some interesting uses too. Today I walked by a house in Berkeley from which I could hear someone pounding out on a piano the opening chords to "Smoke on the Water." It's good to know some people outside of my own little bubble aren't entirely suffused with holiday schmaltz.

(Not to knock the holidays, but it's been years since I had any bloody reason to enjoy them. Except for the time off school, of course--and all the pretty lights everywhere. I do like those. Even if I think the motorized bells are a bit much.)

Date: 2004-12-26 04:06 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] marmaladious.livejournal.com
That reminds me. I work at a retail store, and customers are always talking on their cellphones while shopping. This has recently become more annoying because:
1) Some people's ringers say, "You have an incoming call" in actual English words.
2) Now there are people walking around with speaker-phone cell-phones. This means you can hear both sides of the conversation from any place within twenty feet.

However, I'm still glad my neighbors don't have those bells.

Date: 2004-12-26 04:35 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] gatopreto.livejournal.com
Just took a walk through quiet Menlo Park and Palo Alto, up and down the creek. A lot of white lights and happy people eating, drinking, and being merry--no motorized bells. Spent the day driving part of Skyline Drive, Cabrillo up from Pacifica to Lake Merced, then up Mission into Noe and whatnot. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday. Oh, yeah, and it was relatively quiet considering it's Christmas. Hard to find a place to nosh, though . . .

Hope the bells aren't too annoying.

Date: 2004-12-26 05:00 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] vvvexation.livejournal.com
Heck, it was hard to find a place to nosh even yesterday. But the bells aren't audible from here--though the neighbors are considerably louder.

Date: 2004-12-26 05:04 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] saizai.livejournal.com
I actually like those bells. They sound good, unlike ye generic cheapass-buzzer-made fare. Even if the music they play is horribly cliche.

Date: 2004-12-26 05:50 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] vvvexation.livejournal.com
Music? I think we may be thinking of different bells. I'm talking about the ones that just go "ding" at random like wind chimes.

Date: 2004-12-26 05:56 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] saizai.livejournal.com
The one on the corner next to the 43 stop?

They go wind-chime ding, but with different notes and forming "traditional" christmas-y songs.

Date: 2004-12-26 06:03 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] vvvexation.livejournal.com
Not that I heard, unless they were slowed down by a factor of ten or so.

Date: 2004-12-26 07:00 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] saizai.livejournal.com
They're slowed. I'd say about 3-6x. Recognizable.

Date: 2004-12-26 08:13 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] caesia.livejournal.com
Actually, I'm thinking of setting up a quiet little chime to ring at random intervals, as a sort of "poke poke, are you doing what you're supposed to be or have you gotten distracted?" I think it would be more pleasant than setting something to beep every fifteen minutes. It would sort of go something like this:

BELL: *chime*
ME: oh, that's right, I have water boiling on the stove....
BELL (later): *chime*
ME: oh yeah, I'm supposed to be studying....

Date: 2004-12-26 08:54 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] vvvexation.livejournal.com
Ooh. I can actually see that working. Hmmm....

Profile

vvvexation: (Default)
vvvexation

September 2012

S M T W T F S
      1
2345678
9101112131415
16171819202122
23242526 272829
30      

Most Popular Tags

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags
Page generated Jul. 18th, 2025 08:26 am
Powered by Dreamwidth Studios