MOVIE TALK

The other evening I watched a movie entitled Girl with the Pearl Earring.  This was a fictional account of Vermeer’s painting of the same name.  I found the story line most interesting, but I was also intrigued by the coloring in the film, as well as the young lady who played the “Girl” Griet.

Here is a print of Vermeer’s famous painting.

And here, side by side, is the young lady from the movie, and the Vermeer print.

Finally, here is a more up-to-date photo of the young actress who played Griete, Scarlette Johanssen.

Humor -
Presumably an actual Call Center conversation, but Snopes says No, that this story has been kicking around the internet in various forms since about 1996.  But was this a true story?  Almost, but not quite, says Snopes.
The ‘true‘ stuff ended with the tech learning about the power outage. Everything else was what the tech wanted to say, but wisely kept to himself.



Operator:         'Ridge Hall, computer assistance; may I help you?'
Caller:              'Yes, well, I'm having trouble with WordPerfect .....'
Operator:         'What sort of trouble?'
Caller:              'Well, I was just typing along, and all of a sudden the words went away.'
Operator:         'Went away?'
Caller:              'They disappeared'
Operator:         'Hmm. So what does your screen look like now?'
Caller:              'Nothing.'
Operator:         'Nothing??'
Caller:              'It's blank; it won't accept anything when I type.'
Operator:         'Are you still in WordPerfect, or did you get out?'
Caller:              'How do I tell?'
Operator:        'Can you see the 'C: prompt' on the screen?'
Caller:              'What's a sea-prompt?'
Operator:         'Never mind, can you move your cursor around the screen?'
Caller:              'There isn't any cursor; I told you, it won't accept anything I type..'
Operator:         'Does your monitor have a power indicator?'
Caller:              'What's a monitor?'  (We could stop right there, but ...)
Operator:         'It's the thing with the screen on it that looks like a TV. 
                      
                         Does it have a little light that tells you when it's on?'
Caller:               'I don't know.'
Operator:          'Well, then look on the back of the monitor and find where the power cord goes into it.                      Can you see that??'
Caller:              'Yes, I think so.'
Opera tor:         'Great. Follow the cord to the plug, and tell me if it's plugged into the wall..
Caller:              'Yes, it is.'
Operator:         'When you were behind the monitor, did you notice that there were two cables plugged into the back of it, not just one? '
Caller:               'No.'
Operator:          'Well, there are. I need you to look back there again and find the other cable.'
Caller:               'Okay, here it is.'
Operator:          'Follow it for me, and tell me if it's plugged securely into the back of your computer..'
Caller:               'I can't reach.'
Operator:          'OK. Well, can you see if it is?'
Caller:               'No..'
Operator:          'Even if you maybe put your knee on something and lean way over?'
Caller:               'Well, it's not because I don't have the right angle -- it's because it's dark.'
Operator:          'Dark?'
Caller:               'Yes - the office light is off, and the only light I have is coming in from the window.'
Operator:          'Well, turn on the office light then.'
Caller:               'I can't.'
Operator:          'No? Why not?'
Caller:              'Because there's a power failure.'
Operator:           'A power .... A power failure? Aha. Okay, we've got it licked now. Do you still have the boxes and manuals and packing stuff that your computer came in?'
Caller:                'Well, yes, I keep them in the closet..'
Operator:           'Good. Go get them, and unplug your system and pack it up just like it was when you got it.  Then take it back to the store you bought it from.'
Caller:                'Really? Is it that bad?'
Operator:           'Yes, I'm afraid it is.'
Caller:                'Well, all right then, I suppose. What do I tell them?'
Operator:           'Tell them you're too stupid to own a computer!'