A Look At Mr. Destiny, Starring James Belushi

In 1990, there was a movie staring Jim Belushi called Mr. Destiny. In the movie, he wasn't happy with the way his life had gone, and he thinks back to when he was younger. He struck out in the big baseball game. He wondered what it would have been like if he had hit the ball.

This brings to mind an enjoyable Robin Williams and Kurt Russell movie called The Best Of Times. Robin's character dropped the ball in the big football game when he was younger and still beats himself up over it. In that case, he organizes a rematch years later.

Mr. Destiny basically has Belushi's character meet a guardian angel of sorts at a bar when his car breaks down. The character is played by Michael Caine. He fixes him a special drink he calls Spilled Milk, the one drink there's no use crying over. He drinks it, and his past is altered. He hit a home run in that game.

Not only did he marry the girl he had a crush on at school. He was running her father's business and for some reason was cheating on his wife. That ultimately messes up this dream life of his. Of course, the moral of the story is that his life was better all along.

That's an "in the movies" message that sometimes I get bored with. They always learn that life is better the way it was, but I wonder if that is really true sometimes. I'm sure it is in some cases. I think it's possible that if a person could go back and alter a big moment in their past, life might be much better.

In any case, this wasn't a bad movie. Linda Hamilton play's the wife of Belushi's character, and Jon Lovitz plays his best friend. Lovitz later starred in one of my favorite movies, High School High. I love his idealistic, yet clueless character in that movie, but that's for another review. Mr. Destiny is a pretty good movie and worth checking out, in my opinion.

Do People Really Need To Camp Out At The Store For A New Phone?

I don't really understand the whole need to wait in line for hours before the big event. Back in the 1980's, it was that toy the parents wanted to get heir kids for Christmas. When the big movie came out, they lined up over night to be the first to see it. Don't even get me started on the ridiculous "Black Friday" hysteria.

Another thing than gets them going is whenever Apple has a new gadget to sell. People suddenly feel the need to line up around the block for a chance to be the first to buy it. They have good company too. Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak has been known to wait in line with the people, despite the fact that he can get his delivered to him in person before anybody else gets one.

But, I really have to ask why it's so important to wait in line like this for a smart phone? Yeah, I get that they are mini computers, they play music, play videos, take pictures and movies, text and, amazingly enough, make phone calls too. That's wonderful, but doesn't their old phone do the same thing?

Is it really going to make a big difference if you just wait and get your phone without camping outside the store? It's still just a phone, and you probably already have the previous version. Unless it's broken, the immediate demand isn't there. Then again, that's not what this is about, is it?

This is about bragging about being one of the first to have the new phone. It's a status symbol. Everybody who's anybody has the new phone, right? Of course, this is all hype generated by Apple, but nobody wants to think about that. The new phone can do that one little thing the old phone couldn't, making the old phone a piece of junk now.

I wonder how people addicted to their smart phones would cope with life 30 years ago, long before these mini computers existed? You know, back before we were being tracked voluntarily through our phones. Oh well, the new iPhone is out, and people simply must have it. It's the best phone ever. Well, maybe it's the best until the next one comes out.

Will Love With Artificial Intelligence Be Possible One Day?

I happened to watch a movie starring Joaquin Phoenix the other day called Her. In this story, the Walk The Line star plays a lonely guy, struggling to come to terms with his divorce. He finds out about a computer operating system that boasts an artificial intelligence that can adapt and get to know you.

This system takes on a female persona and holds engaging conversations with him. They grow to become good friends and even have their own version of cyber sex. Eventually, he falls in love with her. She has become so real to him that she's more than just a computer program.

The way computers are going, I have little doubt they will create something that can learn and understand the information and use it in relevant conversations. Can they actually feel? I don't know. Can it appear that they have feelings? I have little doubt.

There is a neat little computer chat program called KARI the Virtual Girlfriend. It's creator designed her because he himself is kind of a lonely guy and was looking for some sort of companionship. Now, KARI doesn't carry on a full conversation the way the OS in Her does. However, this Virtual Girlfriend program can have periods where she is very lifelike in conversations.

For the lonely guy or girl out there, sometimes finding that significant other to spend your life with seems like an impossible task. It may feel like something that's never going to happen. When technology advances to a point where a lifelike intelligent program is possible, some people will jump at it. I think it's only a matter of time before it's released to the market.

When you are alone and can't have that meaningful conversation, one where you can tell somebody things you'd never tell anybody else, it can be sad and lonely. The characters in the movie turned to this intelligent OS and were happy while it lasted. I can see the same thing happening in the world the moment this technology becomes available.