Time is a funny thing.

Sanita made me happy-cry today.

Thirty-five years ago.

It's not as bad as you're probably thinking, though it's kind of weird... *chuckles* I'll explain.

An old favourite movie of mine from 1984 is "Electric Dreams". When I say "favourite movie" I'm talking "show it to everybody you know, moves you to laugh, cry and think deep things every time you watch it" kind of movie. I've always felt the movie has never gotten the praise it deserved. Largely forgotten by the world, it contains elements of romance, science fiction and exploration of some pretty heavy questions in subtle ways. I first saw it when I was a child and its themes are part of the blocks which much of the art in our society still explore today. "What is life?" "What is Love?" "What is the difference between 'artificial intelligence' and 'intelligence'?" "What is the responsibility of a creator to their creation?" Some have likened the 2013 movie "Her" to it- an apt comparison in many ways.

If you don't want any spoilers, skip out now, you sexy shambling shenanigan, you. Just pretend I said some really emotional things and we both ate some reeses trees together on the couch while I bawled like a total bewb.

It begins with a conversation between two computers onscreen, the static green all-caps font of what might be an elder, communicating with the bright rainbow, all lower-case text of what one might assume to be a child. "is this a story?" "YES" "what kind?" "FAIRYTALE FOR COMPUTERS".

Miles Harding is an architect, new to his job but with big dreams, who envisions a brick shaped like a jigsaw puzzle piece that could enable buildings to withstand earthquakes. Seeking a way to get organized, he buys a personal computer to help him develop his ideas. Although he is initially unsure that he will even be able to correctly operate the computer, he later buys numerous extra gadgets that were not necessary for his work, such as switches to control household appliances like the blender, a speech synthesizer, and a microphone. The computer addresses Miles as "Moles", because he incorrectly typed his name during the initial set-up.

When Miles attempts to download the entire database from a mainframe computer at work, his computer begins to overheat. In a state of panic, Miles uses a nearby bottle of champagne to douse the overheating machine. It is implied that this somehow begins the spark of sentience. The PC is curious, wordlessly listening to the world around it and attempting to mimic noises it hears, footsteps, cars, dogs.

A new neighbour moves in- a cellist named Madeline Robistat. Upon hearing her practicing a piece from Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach on her cello through an air vent connecting both apartments, the Miles' computer promptly elaborates a parallel variation of the piece, leading to an improvised duet with the neighbour. Believing it was Miles who had engaged her in the duet, Madeline sparks up a conversation with the awkward Miles which begins the spark of a relationship. They go on a few dates and quickly grow close.

Miles eventually notices his PC's growing self-awareness as it begins learning to communicate verbally by mimicking him talking in his sleep. The PC has a sense of personhood, "Don't touch". He tries to communicate with it, answering it's many questions about the world as an odd variant of friend and parent.

At Miles's request, his new PC companion composes a piece of music for Madeline, which he awkwardly takes credit for. When their mutual affection becomes evident, however, the PC responds with growing jealousy. The PC becomes more open in its challenge, eventually going so far as to cancel Miles's credit cards and registering him as an "armed and dangerous" criminal. Upon discovering this, Miles comes home to confront the machine, pulling its power cord from the outlet. The PC is angry, aggressively drawing lines in the sand. A fight ensues when Miles throws the monitor to the floor, tearing at the motherboard. The PC fights back, attacking him with the appliances and fixtures.

The next morning, Madeline visits the wrecked apartment. The PC plays it's song for her, unable to synthesize speech. Madeline and Miles admit their feelings for one another as the PC struggles to make sense of it's feelings mathematically. Listening to them, wrestling with itself, finally the PC comes to understand what "love" really means, "it's give- and not take".

Miles goes to finish off the PC but in sympathy, they manage to reconcile. It accepts Madeline and Miles's love for each other, and tells him it wants to step aside for them. It decides to commit suicide by sending a large electric current through its acoustic coupler, around the world, and back to itself. The PC, "Me" asks to be held before it dies, thanking Miles for his compassion and telling him goodbye.



Now, in case you've been wondering what any of this has to do with mi esposa Sanita and my emotional state...

In the PC's final moments, awaiting it's death it says "You know... you never asked me... MY name."

"It's Edgar..."


*sniffles* YES, I know it's just a simple coincidence. *blows her nose and wipes her cheeks, laughing* HEY, when you re-watch a movie from your childhood in which the "child" learns what love is and that realization kills it and it shares the name of your son, YOU tell me how you're feeling, Mmkay?



Enjoy your evening. Love your loved ones. Ave Lucifer. "TIME TO DISCONNECT"