Exciting New Opportunities
So I have left the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and have returned to my first love, robotics. I am now gainfully employed at a small start-up company, CasePick Systems, which is developing industrial automation for a new market. I wanted to do my part in keeping tabs on our future metallic-overlords’ quest for world domination; though, I think this might be a good time to check into robot insurance.
Old Glory Insurance
Stop the “POP!”
I am calling for a ban on the word “POP!”, as in “That accent color really makes it POP!” I hear it everywhere and apparently anything can be made to “POP!” “Some white frosting will really make those Cinnabons POP!” Come on, you’re not a professional interior designer, you just heard the phrase on HGTV. Do everyone a favor and stop the “POP!”.
Rant finished.
The Internet - Oh How I Love Thee
I still continue to be amazed at what I can find on the internet as well as what I can accomplish with it. For example just last night I was trying to fix my washing machine. I wasn’t sure how to open it up to gain access to the motor and wiring but I figured I could just take off the rear panel. After fighting it for an hour I decided to Google it, and sure enough I found the answer. A guy with the handle “Fyxer” posted videos on “How to Open a Kenmore Washer” at Metacafe. If I had searched first I would have saved a lot of time and frustration. It is amazing how much I rely on the internet. It has become my external brain and Google is my main access to that brain. In a New York Times article titled “The Outsourced Brain,” David Brooks explains this phenomena writing,
“…I had thought that the magic of the information age was that it allowed us to know more, but then I realized the magic of the information age is that it allows us to know less. It provides us with external cognitive servants - silicon memory systems, collaborative online filters, consumer preference algorithms and networked knowledge. We can burden these servants and liberate ourselves.”
I just hope I don’t become so reliant on the internet that I cease to be able to think and do for myself in any meaningful way. I want the internet to augment my brain, not replace it.
Calling All Bookworms
If you like to read as much as I do then you might enjoy Goodreads, a website that allows you to track what you are reading and share it with others. With Goodreads, you track what you have read, what you want to read and what you’re currently reading. You can create “bookshelves” that allow you to organize your books anyway you want e.g. fiction, history, computers, all-time favorites, etc. You can also rank the book and write a review if you are so inclined. It is easy to find other people on Goodreads who enjoy similar books and make some friends. There are various discussion groups or create one of your own if you want. Goodreads is a great way to get book recommendations from people you know. If you have ever read the wildly varying book reviews on Amazon then you know how valuable it is to find someone with similar tastes who can give you a good recommendation.
I invite you to check out my Goodreads profile and if you do decide to join, add me as a friend. I would like to know what you are reading. I am always looking for a good book.