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Feeling Better About Yourself 2.0 |
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Dr. Samuel Says -
Weirdness
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Written by Dr. Samuel Centralia, Ph.D., D.D.S., Esq.
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Tuesday, 31 July 2007 |
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So I was in D.C. last week, going over some Nikolas Tesla material in the National Archives. Tesla, as you may know, was a mad genius -- my favorite kind of genius -- and made many revolutionary contributions to the study of electricity and magnetism around the turn of the century, until Thomas Edison bullied him out of the business. Still, Tesla more or less invented the alternating current (AC) electrical power systems we use today, and I like to keep a sheaf or two of his notes on the nightstand for light bedtime reading.
 Heading back to the Metro station on 14th Street, I was roused from my reverie by a surprising comment from a passerby: "You help create a brighter future!"
Quite right, I thought, turning to engage my admirer. Imagine my
surprise when it wasn’t a person at all -- but a machine! It was a
red-and-white box, perched at eye-level on a platform of bricks. The
sign read: The Compliment Machine.
DING! "You are a wonderful fellow!"
DING! "People are drawn to your positive energy!"
Well, I'm not one to turn down praise of any kind, and I have no
prejudice against machines. But it certainly was curious. After a
little digging, I discovered that The Compliment Machine is
actually an installation by local visual artist Tom Greaves, part of a
public art project sponsored by the city. "It's a response to how on
kids' soccer teams . . . win or lose, everyone gets a trophy," Greaves
explained to The Washington Post. "Not soccer, specifically," the Post goes
on to explicate, "but the saccharine culture in which everyone is
special and unique, nobody can be criticized and everyone gets an
award."
DING! "You always leave things better than how you found them!"
In case you're curious, the Compliment Machine is powered by an iPod
Nano, an external speaker, and a car battery. Greaves recorded all the
compliments himself, and switches in new material every day. And here's
an interesting twist: Rumor in the Beltway is that, after another
grueling week of Congressional hearings, Attorney General Alberto
Gonzales has arranged to have a Compliment Machine installed in his
office…
DING! You’re a terrific attorney general!”
DING! "You’re doing a great job!!”
DING! "You have lovely eyes!”
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