HOME OF THE FUTURE

So, I just got back from a couple of days of Disneyland.  I love Disneyland - yes, it's all smoke and mirrors, but it still feels magical walking through the gates and seeing the "mouse."  Well, maybe the magic happens when my son gets to experience these things, but nonetheless, I always enjoy the visit.

Funny thing this time though.  We went to Innoventions in Tomorrowland.  At first, you get a presentation about conservation.  You know the drill - a presentation on using compact fluorescent lightbulbs over the traditional energy zappers...unplugging appliances when you are not using them...a brief talk on solar and wind power.  And next, with great anticipation, the doors slowly opened to reveal the "HOME OF THE FUTURE."  After our graduation from the Conservation 101 Presentation, I was excited to maybe see the "HOME OF THE FUTURE" stocked full of energy saving gadgets, rain barrels, grey water systems...   Drumroll please....  As we walked through the magical doors, what was revealed to us but nothing but lights, lights, lights and more lights.  Everything lit up and buzzed.  You could practically hear the slight buzz of our power plants at work just to power this display.  

We walked into a cozy living room, warm tones in the decor and family photos placed perfectly on the piano.  But these weren't real photos, they were digital picture frames.  The art on the walls - digital.  The COFFEE TABLE - DIGITAL!?!?!  You could read a digital book or play digital checkers on the digital coffee table.  How about a game of digital soccer in your digital backyard?

Disney, I love you, man.  But, really?  If you are going to present this kind of home of the future, you might as well scrap the environmental chat at the beginning.  Or better yet, why don't you rethink the idea of the "Home of the Future?"