Procrastinet

What the...?

filed under: Idle Chatter

Engadget has an article about Intel's release of a community-friendly PC in rural India, with an accompanying press picture:

Engadget talks about how big the thing is. Which, yeah, that's a big computer. But on a second glance, there's some really strange stuff going on in this picture.

First, let's look talk about the zomboid, joyless faces of the young Indian girls who are staring at the thing as if it's sapping their will to live:

I would have thought the point of the press release would be that Intel was sending cheap rugged computers to rural India and that rural Indians were HAPPY about it. Clearly not.

What's really freaking me out, though, is the painting on the wall behind them. I mean, yeah, the shrine to Ganesh on the right - fine. No worries. India, and all that. But what the HECK is going on in that painting?

Let's break it down.

This dude:

is getting zapped by this orb:

I'm actually fine, so far. So whatever, this guy is all in raptures because a big sun-like orb with a book in it is beaming him with happy rays. Fine. Dope. I support that.

But then look what happens when the Orb of Wisdom beams goodness on the guy: five creepy GHOSTS come jumping out of him!

Here's CREEPY HEART GHOST:

Here's CREEPY RAIN GHOST:

Here's CREEPY BAMBOO FOREST GHOST:

Here's CREEPY MONEY GHOST:

And, my personal favorite, CREEPY I'VE-GROWN-SO-MANY-APPLES-IT'S-GIVEN-ME-A-WICKED-HEADACHE GHOST:

You'd think getting hit with goodness by an orb with a book in it and having weird toothy-faced symbologic ghosts shoot out of you in all directions would freak a fella out, but no. Look at the picture again. Dude's just chillin.

Just when I've started to make my peace with it, when I'm all "Well, if it doesn't bother the dude and the orb and the ghosts then why should it bother me," I spot these creepy eyes peering out from the clouds to the left of the orb:

What the HECK is going on with this thing? This is some ANNUIT COEPTIS-level weirdness going down.

Thanks, Intel. Thanks for freaking out my whole morning.

Posted by rjt at March 31, 2006 10:30 AM