Technological Breakthrough

I'm going to be a lazy blogger today, because it's TIFF week in Toronto, and while I'm not going to my usual 45 films this year, I am going to a couple a day (13 in total), and it's occupying too many brain cells. I've been blogging about some of the movies: V.O.S. and Whip It so far.

I saw two fabulous movies today (I'm writing this Tuesday night): Balibo and The Private Lives of Pippa Lee. Both really, really good. It was a tough day emotionally because of those two films. Maybe that's why my brain's broken. Check my blog later in the day for mini-reviews of those. Assuming I retrieve some brain cells through this new method I heard of called SLEEPING.

All this is a long intro to say that my lazy blog for today will be plagiarized quoted from a bookmark I recently received at my local indie bookstore, Book City. (Does it make it better or worse that I'm stealing from them, if I link to them?) Who knows... perhaps they stole this from somewhere else... And I've heard it on good authority that two wrongs actually do make a right.

Anyway, this is what's printed on the book marks they're currently handing out with purchases. (I got mine when I couldn't resist buying my own copy of CATCHING FIRE, by Suzanne Collins, even though Sinead had already bought it and told me I could read her copy first... WOW, that's a book... But I digress, again...)

TECHNOLOGICAL BREAKTHROUGH!

Introducing the new Bio-Optic Organized Knowledge device -- BOOK.

BOOK is a revolutionary breakthrough in technology; no wires, no electronic circuits, no batteries, nothing to be connected or switched on. It's easy to use. Even a child can operate it.

Compact and portable, it can be used anywhere -- even sitting in an armchair by the fire -- yet it is powerful enough to hold as much as a CD-ROM.

BOOK is constructed of sequentially numbered sheets of paper (recyclable), each capable of holding thousands of bits of information. The pages are locked together with one of two custom devices, a BINDER, or DOUBLE STITCH BINDING, which keep the sheets in the correct sequence, Opaque Paper Technology (OPT) allows manufacturers to use both sides of the sheet, doubling the information density.

Each sheet is scanned optically, registering information directly to your brain. A flick of the finger takes you to the next sheet.

BOOK never crashes nor requires rebooting. The "browse" function allows instant movement to any sheet, forward or backward, as one wishes. Many come with an "index" feature, which pinpoints the exact location of any selected information for instant retrieval.

Portable, durable and affordable, BOOK is being hailed as a precursor of a new entertainment wave. BOOK's appeal seems so certain that thousands of content creators have committed to the platform and investors are reportedly flocking to the medium. Look for a flood of new BOOKs at... Book City.

This amuses me.

And no, I don't think it's a political statement about e-books (although I might be wrong, I don't think that was the necessarily the intent).

I think it's more about promoting books and reading vs other kinds of entertainment. And that reminds me of a great essay the lovely, Joanne Rendell -- whose new book CROSSING WASHINGTON SQUARE, was recently released -- wrote for the Huffington Post about promoting reading and books.

Yeah, books! Yeah, reading. Come on. Do it. All the cool kids are.