The Slice: Dave’s not here, man

As you might know, today is the birthday of the HAL 9000 supercomputer in the film “2001: A Space Odyssey.”

The date is specified in that classic 1968 movie. And I mention it almost every year.

Well, if you are among those who received for Christmas a smart electronic device that responds to voice commands, you might have contemplated challenging it with a memorable “2001” reference.

I can report that, at least in the case of Amazon’s Alexa computer voice, the machines saw this coming from a light-year away.

Here’s what Alexa says if you ask her to “Open the pod bay door.”

“I’m sorry, Dave. I’m afraid I can’t do that. I’m not HAL and we are not in space.”

Of course.

If you don’t know who “Dave” is, please realize that I am judging you.

No, it has nothing to do with Cheech and Chong’s “Dave’s not here.” Though, I suppose that might be another one to try out on Alexa.

Life in the Inland Northwest (Get off my lawn!): Terrie Roberts shared this.

“The last time a moose walked across my lawn, it was the holiday season and he got the outdoor lights on my shrubs caught up in his antlers and drug them a block down the street. My neighbor rescued them and I found them in a neat pile on my front porch.”

Breakfast at your grandmother’s: Here’s the second serving.

“In my case, Grandpa did the cooking,” wrote Darlene Thain.

“My mother was the youngest of 10 children, so grandkids were plentiful. All 10 kids and their families would gather at Grandpa’s house at one time, so we ate in shifts. When it came your turn, Grandpa would call you over to the old woodstove and slice off three slices of bacon from a large slab, cutting off the rind and frying it with the bacon so that you could have cracklins with your bacon. Next came the sourdough pancakes made from starter on the back of the woodstove. You got to say how many cakes you wanted and what size and shape they would be. Those pancakes were made special for just you. I don’t remember a breakfast as good as the one Grandpa made.”

Today’s Slice question: Were you able to sit up and take nourishment when the New York Jets beat the Baltimore Colts on this date in 1969 to win Super Bowl III?

Write The Slice at P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210; call (509) 459-5470; email pault@spokesman.com. Slice reader Bob Kirlin says anyone planning to visit Mount Rushmore should be required to first watch the 1959 Alfred Hitchcock movie “North By Northwest.”