Without a paddle: a rant.

This is from the press release for a lavatory produced by the company Kohler and shown at the 2019 CES (Consumer Electronics Show) technology trade jamboree (you can read the whole press release, should you wish to, HERE. But, I warn you, there are split infinitives).

Numi 2.0 Intelligent Toilet: Numi, Kohler’s most advanced intelligent toilet, offers exceptional water efficiency, personalized cleansing and dryer functions, a heated seat, and high-quality built-in speakers. The lighting features on Kohler’s flagship intelligent toilet have been upgraded from static colors to dynamic and interactive multi-colored ambient and surround lighting. Paired with the new speakers in the Numi toilet, these lighting and audio enhancements create a fully-immersive experience for homeowners. Amazon Alexa built into the product provides simple voice control of Numi’s features and access to tens of thousands of skills, as well as a seamless integration of voice control into the bathroom.

Others have commented upon the desirability of using a fully-immersive toilet, but what struck me most forcibly was the idea of hitching a ride on a flagship intelligent one.

Do I really want my lavatory to carry me into battle? That's no way to treat an intelligent entity, even if I did.

And as to what it might do with its tens of thousands of skills, that quite frankly terrifies the life out of me.

Word To Use Today: smart. The Old English form of this word was smeortan. It comes, appallingly,  from the Latin word mordēre, to bite (ouch!) from the Greek smerdnos, terrible.