Saturday’s Odd Feeling: I was talking on the phone with somebody, and I was eating at the same time. (Don’t look at me like that – I know you’ve done it too.) However, I didn’t want the other person to know that I was eating. (Once again – shush.) It always seems rude somehow to be eating while talking on the phone. Of course, I wasn’t eating something quiet, like oatmeal. Instead, I was enjoying some salted, roasted, noisy peanuts. Rather difficult to eat surreptitiously.
So instead of utilizing the incredibly handy, technologically-savvy ‘mute’ button on the phone to mask my chewing and swallowing noises, I simply rotated the phone receiver away from my mouth until it was 180 degrees away from normal. In case you’re having difficulties picturing it, let me simply say that the mouthpiece of the phone was roughly even with the top of my head, while the earpiece was still firmly pressed to my ear. Very slick, thought I, and I continued to munch on my peanuts while listening to the other person speak, apparently completely oblivious to my culinary indiscretion.
So here’s the Odd Feeling: I was suddenly struck by the extremely odd notion that because the phone speaker was upside down, the sound should be upside down as well. Of course, physics promptly thrust itself into the forefront of my brain and firmly asserted that there is no such thing as upside down noise, but I couldn’t shake the concept that if you turn a speaker upside down, the resulting noise should be sheer gibberish. If you turn the written word upside down, it’s unintelligible; why doesn’t it work that way with the spoken word?
Author’s note: I was, sadly, completely sober during this episode.
October 8th, 2007 at 8:01 am
Oh great! One more physics problem to worry about. As if it wasn’t enough to think about the fact that everyone on the other side of the earth is always upside down.
October 8th, 2007 at 8:58 am
Which perhaps explains why I can’t understand the Chinese. It’s not because they’re speaking Chinese, it’s because they’re upside down.
October 8th, 2007 at 4:27 pm
I’m so glad I’m not the only person who thinks like this.
Oh, and I used to read books upside down all the time if I’d read them too many times. The extra concentration made them interesting again.
October 9th, 2007 at 6:00 am
I’m not sure I understand that one. Just having to concentrate on the physical act of reading made the book interesting again? Why not simply get another book?
October 9th, 2007 at 4:08 pm
I was young! I didn’t have too many options at the time.
October 10th, 2007 at 11:33 am
I’ll be the first person to create a theory about upside down sound was born and raised in Australia, and after a hot day at Alice Springs and one too many fosters, they turned their radio upside down to check it out.
You must have read the report or used your psychic powers to glom on to this little unknown (thankfully) syndrome.
Malcolm
October 10th, 2007 at 11:54 am
WordVixen: Makes sense now, I think. And I must thank you: indirectly, at least, you’ve given me some intellectual fodder.
October 10th, 2007 at 11:56 am
Malcolm: Are you referring to a specific incident or report? Honestly, I had no idea, but it sounds intriguing.
October 10th, 2007 at 4:36 pm
Wolf- now I’m scared.
Malcolm- as I said to Wolf, now I’m scared.
October 11th, 2007 at 7:09 pm
I don’t think you fooled anybody. I’m sure they heard you .
October 11th, 2007 at 7:10 pm
Well, that didn’t work. I tried to put an image of “chewing” in upside down with some html, but I guess it won’t work. And I thought I was so damn clever.
October 11th, 2007 at 8:22 pm
Your mind works in a funny way sometimes… but at least it still works.
October 12th, 2007 at 6:02 am
Pinhole: The html code for “chewing” escapes me. Is it (chew)munch munch munch(/chew)?
Nope - that didn’t work either.Funny - when I used “<>” instead of “()” my browser just completely removed the word “chew.”
October 12th, 2007 at 6:09 am
believin: Most of the time. I have a feeling that there are those that would argue with your assessment, however.
October 12th, 2007 at 10:59 am
believin, in everyday life, Wolf and Pinhole are probably “regular people” but then when they log on, something snaps and everything “works in a funny way” as you were saying.
Malcolm
October 12th, 2007 at 12:08 pm
Wow… it’s been a long time since somebody called me “regular.” I… I… *sniff* I don’t know what to say.
And you’re right, of course. In real life I sell life insurance and watch “Hannity and Colmes.”
Really.
October 12th, 2007 at 6:09 pm
Malcolm, are you saying they are both just projecting a persona or something? I feel betrayed.
October 13th, 2007 at 2:17 pm
Sorry, Malcolm…unfortunately, for the people around me, what you see in my blog and comments is pretty much what they have to put up with. I tend to have a lot of alone time.
November 2nd, 2007 at 1:00 am
ziruxurp…
ziruxurp…