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Max the Magnificent
My eyes are watering just thinking about it -- thank goodness for anesthetics is ...
kenish
Many doctors are willing to do the procedure without anesthesia. I opted to go ...
The worst is behind you…
Clive Maxfield
8/20/2012 9:51 AM EDT
About three years ago, during a regular checkup, my doctor said "You're past 50 years old… how come I haven’t sent you for a colonoscopy yet?" Sad to relate, before I could come up with a witty answer, I was quickly booked in.
The night before the exam, I drank (what seemed like) ten gallons of the most obnoxious "stuff" known to man (even worse than American beer) to clear out my system. Good Grief! It certainly did clear out my system! The next morning, while I was lying on the bed after being wheeled into the examination room, the doctor in charge (whose job I do not envy) commiserated about the stuff one had to drink and quipped "Ah well, at least the worst is behind you."
I tried to hit him, but the anesthetic took hold…
Actually I have to say that modern anesthetics are absolutely incredibly. My recollection is that I went from being awake to … well, being awake again. I don’t recall anything in between (no sliding down into unconsciousness and no fighting my way back up through the "fog"). It was all quite amazing really.
But that's not what I wanted to talk about…
I remember reading a science fiction story ages ago. It must be more than 30 years ago now. At one stage the hero was on a bus or a train or something. As he walked through the vehicle, adverts that were targeted specifically at him appeared in front of him (I think something similar was portrayed on the original Total Recall movie – the one starring Arnold Schwarzenegger).
At that time I really didn’t think much about this, except perhaps that it seemed rather unlikely. Of course that was before the Internet and smartphones and suchlike. Now we have adverts targeted at us on the Internet based on the sites we visit and the things we look at and the items we order and the articles we read. How long will it be before we see adverts targeted specifically at us on those little TV screens on the back of airplane seats and suchlike?
But that's not what I wanted to talk about…
I was listening to the NPR (National Public Radio) while driving into work this morning. There was a short piece on Bryan and Jordan Silverman – two brothers from New York – who have created rolls of toilet paper printed with adverts, some of which have coupon codes that can be read by smartphones. As the brothers say, these adverts really are playing to a captive audience.
This would certainly make me "pucker up" (grin)
So is the worst really behind us? Is this as low as it gets (pun intended)? Or can you think of something that is even more cringe-inducing?
If you found this article to be interest, visit Microcontroller / MCU Designline where – in addition to my Max's Cool Beans blogs on all sorts of "stuff" – you will find the latest and greatest design, technology, product, and news articles with regard to all aspects of designing and using microcontrollers.
Also, you can obtain a highlights update delivered directly to your inbox by signing up for my weekly newsletter – just Click Here to request this newsletter using the Manage Newsletters tab (if you aren't already a member you'll be asked to register, but it's free and painless so don't let that stop you [grin]).
Last but certainly not least, make sure you check out all of the discussions and other information resources at All Programmable Planet. For example, in addition to blogs by yours truly, microcontroller expert Duane Benson is learning how to use FPGAs to augment (sometimes replace) the MCUs in his robot (and other) projects.
The night before the exam, I drank (what seemed like) ten gallons of the most obnoxious "stuff" known to man (even worse than American beer) to clear out my system. Good Grief! It certainly did clear out my system! The next morning, while I was lying on the bed after being wheeled into the examination room, the doctor in charge (whose job I do not envy) commiserated about the stuff one had to drink and quipped "Ah well, at least the worst is behind you."
I tried to hit him, but the anesthetic took hold…
Actually I have to say that modern anesthetics are absolutely incredibly. My recollection is that I went from being awake to … well, being awake again. I don’t recall anything in between (no sliding down into unconsciousness and no fighting my way back up through the "fog"). It was all quite amazing really.
But that's not what I wanted to talk about…
I remember reading a science fiction story ages ago. It must be more than 30 years ago now. At one stage the hero was on a bus or a train or something. As he walked through the vehicle, adverts that were targeted specifically at him appeared in front of him (I think something similar was portrayed on the original Total Recall movie – the one starring Arnold Schwarzenegger).
At that time I really didn’t think much about this, except perhaps that it seemed rather unlikely. Of course that was before the Internet and smartphones and suchlike. Now we have adverts targeted at us on the Internet based on the sites we visit and the things we look at and the items we order and the articles we read. How long will it be before we see adverts targeted specifically at us on those little TV screens on the back of airplane seats and suchlike?
But that's not what I wanted to talk about…
I was listening to the NPR (National Public Radio) while driving into work this morning. There was a short piece on Bryan and Jordan Silverman – two brothers from New York – who have created rolls of toilet paper printed with adverts, some of which have coupon codes that can be read by smartphones. As the brothers say, these adverts really are playing to a captive audience.
This would certainly make me "pucker up" (grin)
So is the worst really behind us? Is this as low as it gets (pun intended)? Or can you think of something that is even more cringe-inducing?
If you found this article to be interest, visit Microcontroller / MCU Designline where – in addition to my Max's Cool Beans blogs on all sorts of "stuff" – you will find the latest and greatest design, technology, product, and news articles with regard to all aspects of designing and using microcontrollers.
Also, you can obtain a highlights update delivered directly to your inbox by signing up for my weekly newsletter – just Click Here to request this newsletter using the Manage Newsletters tab (if you aren't already a member you'll be asked to register, but it's free and painless so don't let that stop you [grin]).
Last but certainly not least, make sure you check out all of the discussions and other information resources at All Programmable Planet. For example, in addition to blogs by yours truly, microcontroller expert Duane Benson is learning how to use FPGAs to augment (sometimes replace) the MCUs in his robot (and other) projects.
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antedeluvian
8/20/2012 11:58 AM EDT
Targeted adverts may have been in Blade Runner, but it was definitely in Minority Report was Tom Cruise.
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ReneCardenas
8/20/2012 12:59 PM EDT
I did recall Minority Report as a prime example, but also recall some minor references to global advertisment or should we say "public annoucements" shown in I-Robot, Total Recall (both versions), and many other SciFic movies use that trick as a tease to describe what is to come.
Not sure how effective it will be at some point, as I see myself shutting down to public ads if I am not driving (reading instead).
Regarding if the worst is behind us, when it comes to marketing, I think the opposite is true.
The worst is yet to come ;-)
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Bubblz Maths
8/20/2012 2:33 PM EDT
Surely you mean Arnie in Total Recall? Wasn't it Harrison Ford in Blade Runner - OK, so I'm being picky picky.... remind me not to tell the doc I'm 50! They've already attacked me with what can only be described as a vise (vice? No idea how to spell it!), clearly designed to be an instrument of torture. THEN they said the results were not clear and I had to go again before finally being given the green light... sigh! :0)
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Max the Magnificent
8/20/2012 2:40 PM EDT
You are correct -- I've changed my reference to Total Recall -- the funny thing is that I was thinking "Total Recall" while I wrote "Blade Runner" ... hmmmm
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David Ashton
8/20/2012 8:10 PM EDT
Adverts on toilet paper? You're right, the worst IS behind you :-) (it gives "crapware" a whole new meaning...)
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bcarso
8/21/2012 11:28 AM EDT
Can't think of worse as yet, but about anaesthetics, there is a wonderful account of going under and coming out abruptly in Stephenson's epic multilevel novel Cryptonomicon, when one of the protagonists finally finds an oral surgeon willing to tackle his wisdom teeth extractions (wait that is worse now that I think of it, when I had all four of mine out under a local --- but another time).
I have yet to find anyone who says he or she read that novel who remembers that part --- Total unRecall. Although I enjoyed it, I doubt I'd have been able to get through it, were it not for being laid up with an ankle sprain (I had fallen one story through a drop ceiling at the outside office, oh dear yet another story --- by the way I answer to the name Lucky).
In the Stephenson excerpt, the oral surgeon is asking the patient about operating systems, and he's in the middle of the reply, mid-sentence I believe, when he can't complete it owing to the sudden appearance of large amounts of stuffing in his mouth.
Brad "Lucky" Wood
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Max the Magnificent
8/21/2012 11:38 AM EDT
I don;t recall that part -- I'll have to go and check it out. In the meantime, I saw a book at some airport while I was traveling last week -- it was called "Altered Silicon" by Richard Morgan -- it looks quite good but I have so many book sin m y"pile" that I just added it to my Wish List ... have you heard about it or read it?
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bcarso
8/21/2012 2:44 PM EDT
Hadn't heard of that.
Yes, after the numbers of people who didn't recall the passage, I began to doubt my own recollection, and went back and located it. If I run across my copy in storage I'll make a note of the page numbers.
The description of the before and after of the operating room scene is also quite delightful, with the afterwards having everyone looking exhausted and spattered with blood.
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Max the Magnificent
8/21/2012 3:01 PM EDT
"The description of the before and after of the operating room scene is also quite delightful, with the afterwards having everyone looking exhausted and spattered with blood."
Delightful indeed. That reminds me, I must call my dentist and arrange to have my regular checkup...
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bcarso
8/21/2012 2:48 PM EDT
Altered Carbon mayhap? Although Altered Silicon would sell better on planets with sentient silicon-based lifeforms :)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altered_Carbon
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Max the Magnificent
8/21/2012 3:00 PM EDT
Arrggghhh - that shows you I'm spending too much time thinking about silicon chips .. you are correct -- it is "Altered Carbon"
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bcarso
8/21/2012 3:12 PM EDT
Thanks to Google: the passage about wisdom teeth begins on page 776, I presume in the hardcover edition.
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Max the Magnificent
8/21/2012 3:25 PM EDT
Once you've sunk your teeth into something, you really don't like to let go, do you? (grin)
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squarewheels
8/21/2012 3:28 PM EDT
Any time a colonoscopy is mentioned, I feel it obligatory to point out Dave Barry's column about his experience: http://www.miamiherald.com/2009/02/11/v-fullstory/427603/dave-barry-a-journey-into-my-colon.html
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Max the Magnificent
8/21/2012 3:36 PM EDT
I hadn't read this, but it sounds identical to my own experience...
The vodka thing is a good tip because they said I had to come back in 5 years and this was about 3 years ago...
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squarewheels
8/21/2012 6:06 PM EDT
I had my first 9 years ago; I'm due for my next anytime, I guess. I doubt I'll do the vodka thing, though. Anything that limits my speed or coordination is not something I want in that situation.
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Battar
8/22/2012 4:22 AM EDT
I've had surgery under full anaethetics 4 times, it's literally like throwing an on/off switch. You just cut off in mid sentence. I suppose thats what its like being dead. As for individually targeted ads, maybe they would interest or entertain me rather than simply annoy. That would be an improvement, in fact.
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kenish
8/22/2012 11:49 AM EDT
Many doctors are willing to do the procedure without anesthesia. I opted to go without and there were two times when it felt like bad stomach cramps for 30 seconds. The doctor forewarned when it was about to happen. It was totally tolerable, and I could have a celebratory cocktail right after which is a bad idea post-anesthesia. If the pain isn't tolerable you can change your mind during the procedure. Definitely something to ask about...I think it depends on the skill of the doctor.
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Max the Magnificent
8/22/2012 11:51 AM EDT
My eyes are watering just thinking about it -- thank goodness for anesthetics is all I can say...
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