We got a new device, an Amazon Echo. To use it, you call out “Alexa”, then give it a command. We use it to turn on and off lights. We can even change the lights color. It is most convenient, especially for Mom.

It quickly replaced our previous little helper in our affections. The name Alexa gets called out more often than actual members of our family. It even knows my name and will sometimes say, “Sure, Cullen,” to something I’ve asked.

Which is really, really creepy. But I digress.

One of the other features Alexa can do is play Spotify music. It has a nice speaker and sounds good. This, too, gets frequent use.

Except when music started playing in the house ten minutes ago, no one asked for it.

The music just started.

Nearest we could figure it heard whatever video Mom was listening to and decided on it’s own to respond. No big deal. I call out, “Alexa, stop.”

Only she doesn’t stop.

Todd tries, “Alexa, stop playing music.”

Nothing doing.

We keep right on calling out instructions, without any luck. Todd starts losing his cool, to the point he’s disturbing Daisy Mae. Poor dog comes running over to me for protection.

The music, while nice, keeps playing. Todd even tries to mute the silly thing and nothing works.

By this point, I’ve disengaged from the upset dog and walked into the living room. Alexa has a screen that displays Spotify when she… it is playing the app. I should be able to turn off the music that way. Failing that, I can unplug it. If that fails, I throw it to the floor and stop on it until it stops.

Very tech savvy I am.

Only when I reach the device, I don’t see the Spotify app. In fact, I can see that the volume on Alexa has been turned off, per Todd’s request.

The source of the music? Remember how I mentioned a previous little helper? She… I mean it. It was playing the music the whole time.

I’m not sure what this all means. Perhaps the other helper just wanted to remind us it was still there. Or perhaps this is the first sign that the computer devices have come to replace us all.

Dunno, don’t care. I’m just hunting up my shovel and burying both devices. To be safe.