iPod owners all eventually become subject to a pronoid form of apophenia, in which they become convinced that that the shuffle-play feature can read their minds.
Speech-recognition software users all eventually become subject to the paranoid version of this, in which they become convinced that the software is mocking them.
My father auditioned an early (1992-ish) cut of speech-recognition software intended for medical-transcription use. Whenever witnesses were present, the software interjected the word ‘testicle’ at least once every ten words. When witnesses were absent, this behavior completely disappeared. We eventually had to purge the word ‘testicle’ from the dictionary. Thereafter, if the dictation at hand required use of that particular word, the user was forced to spell it.
The software has improved immeasurably since then, but the curse has not lifted entirely. I have felt the clouds gathering for several days, and I quit today’s dictation session early when I spoke the words ‘pulled taut’ into the headset and the words ‘Pol Pot’ appeared on the monitor.
If mine were a more rational mind, I would doubtless ignore errors like these as statistical anomalies. But I am an engineer, and thus an implicit believer in black magic.
On a not completely unrelated note, I tried replying to more than one post on your site last week and I kept getting the “Slow down Cowboy!” message. I waited several hours, purged cookies, did a dance… but the spell had not worn off. So I will make this an all encompassing response:
I have not had a chance to read the troll story, but it looks like you are making progress. It also looks like you are slipping back into small(er) town life very nicely. I saw someone giving away a Wurlitzer organ on Craig’s list the other day, and I thought I could have it shipped to you if I sense stagnation. No such signs seem to have manifested though, and I am enjoying the posts.
Don’t forget to elaborate more on the homebrew beer.