Category Archives: My Posts

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Freedom to Grieve

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There was a death in my family recently. Oftentimes, when there’s such a tragedy, people, especially those closest to the one who passed on, are bombarded with often well-meaning advice on how to grieve. They may hear things such as, “You have to cry”, or, “You must pray”, or “You must do this,… wear that…have this type of ceremony”, etc.

Luckily, for me, there was very little of this, for which I am grateful. You see, everyone grieves in their own way, and just because one grieves in any particular way that is different, doesn’t mean they love the deceased person any less. Not everyone has a funeral. Not everyone wears black. Not everyone grieves for the same amount of time or to the same degree all of the time.

So, to keep this short, my advice is, to let people grieve in their own way. Please. They’ll appreciate this as greater respect, and they are more likely to respect you in turn.

Thanks for reading.

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Will Automation Phase Out Work?

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Recently, I read an article online where it was said that one of the reasons for the future growth of unemployment will be that more and more jobs will be done by robots and other forms of automation.

Among the jobs that were listed as ones that could fall to automation were dental assistant, delivery driver, and restaurant wait staff.

Actually, this may turn out to be true, and I understand that there is a restaurant in France that does have automated wait staff.  Driverless cars are being tested. And sure, we’ve all seen, or rather, heard automated answering systems (“…press one, for customer service, two, to leave a voice mail..”, etc.), and automated toll booths, among others. But a fully automated world where no human will hold a job?

Possibly, but only after a very long time, for several reasons I can think of.

First, and possibly the strongest reason is, though we are encountering more and more automated systems, we still tend not to like them. We still want to talk to a human being. And this is especially true in medical situations and those situations where things have gone wrong in general. I’m sure most people simply don’t feel comfortable with a robot diagnosing their symptoms and prescribing medicine just yet.

And then there’s the hassle factor, which I have dealt with. Some automated phone systems will simply not let you get to a human being, and their voice recognition systems will often misunderstand what you are saying. And, of course, they cannot think so when your situation falls through the cracks because it doesn’t neatly fall into one of the categories you’ve been presented with, so you get nowhere.

Second, is reliability issues, which is related to the first reason. Again, many voice recognition systems won’t understand what you are saying. A company may be reluctant to completely rely on a fully automated customer service system without some kind of human backup.

Third, which is, yes, related to the second reason. It’s a lack of an ability for self correction, or to think, period. That is, if a human employee makes a mistake and sends you a toaster instead of the blender you ordered, it may be caught by another employee before it even gets to you. If a human employee has to leave suddenly for the day, another will see it and offer to cover for the now absent employee. And if the employee is a mistake prone jerk, the boss can let the employee know that his or her job is at stake unless they shape up.

But with robots, at least for now, if one makes a mistake, you’re getting that toaster and you’ll have a real hassle trying to straiten out the mess through the company phone system. If one machine breaks down, it stays broken and the other machines don’t know it. The pumping machine may just keep filling that tank until it explodes. The other machines cannot make a call for repairs. Production and other functions stop until a human notices, by which time much more damage may have been done. And if a machine or robot just will not work, no amount of threats will make it start working.

Lastly, we’re not quite there yet. That is, while certainly, we have been able to successfully bring automation to areas such as the factory floor, and yes, the example of the exploding tank above has been solved by adding sensors and systems that will shut down the pumping machine, the technology for having robots completely replace humans in many areas is a long way from reality, even now. And while many businesses are looking to use more and more automation, it is still very expensive to start, and somewhat risky, so many businesses, especially small ones, are not yet on that bandwagon and won’t be for a good while.

We don’t have a robot that can go door to door delivering mail, or selling items and services, and people are not ready to deal with a robot salesperson or clerk unless there’s another human from the company there who understands what you’re saying and who can correct any problems on the spot. And no one’s yet ready to trust a robot surgeon acting alone in the OR just yet.

So, not to worry yet, humans will still be needed for jobs, including those that robotics and growing automation will generate, for a long, long time to come.

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And thanks for reading! 🙂

 

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Another Craigslist Tip

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If you’re posting ads on Craigslist, here’s another tip for you. After a time, when you log into your account after your ad has been posted for 48 hours, it will show that it can be renewed.

If your ad is in one of the more “general” categories, such as “small biz ads”, then you should have no trouble renewing it. It probably won’t be automatically flagged due to “overposting”.

But some categories have much fewer ads, resulting in your ad being on the first page for a longer period of time, even longer than 48 hours, so, even if you go into your account and your ad is showing to be renewable, it may still get flagged by Craigslist due to overposting if you click on “renew” to renew your ad.

So, if your ad is in one of these “sparsely populated” categories, your best bet to avoid getting your ad flagged is to wait until your ad is no longer on the first page when you go into that category.

This happened to me when I had my ad for resume services under “write/ed/tr8”. I would go into my account and my ad would show that it could be renewed, so I clicked on “renew” and the ad would get flagged. I finally checked by going into the “write/ed/tr8” category on Craigslist, and saw that my previous ad was still on that first page that came up, even though it had been posted more than 48 hours before.

Worried that your ad won’t be seen if you don’t renew? Go and check to see if your previous ad is still on the first page. if so, then you don’t need to worry about renewing.

Just check on the category your ad is in after the 48 hour period has passed. If it’s no longer on the first page, then try renewing. If it doesn’t get flagged, then you’re ok.

Hope this helps and good luck posting your ads on Craigslist!

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And thanks for reading!  🙂

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New Tech Toy has Just Arrived! Don’t Get It Now!

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That new tech gizmo that just came out? Like the title above says, don’t rush out and buy it now! Why?

Here are a few reasons:

1. Fewer features and capability. Oh, it will probably do things that other gadgets cannot do or haven’t been done before, but it won’t have those things and features that people will find they inevitably want after they try out the new tech toy. Those first models just won’t have what the later versions are sure to have due to popular demand.

2. Bugs. The first model of any new tech toy, from I-Phones to cars, will have the most bugs and problems. Always. Advice for car buyers often includes the advice to not buy a new model the first year it comes out just for this reason alone.

3. Cost.  The first version will usually cost the most. Or, if not, it will have less bang for the buck, due mainly to the two reasons listed above.

4. No Line in the rain. You’ve no doubt heard about or have seen stories of people waiting to be the first to get that new tech toy, usually an I-phone or something similar. They’ll be interviews with people standing in that long line in the rain or snow, willing to pay twice what would be paid in just a few short months! You can avoid this just by waiting! The product won’t go away, unless it proves to be a real lemon, in which case, you won’t have wasted time or money, and won’t have had to endure discomfort on top of that.

To illustrate this, I remember when I saw my first handheld calculator, in 1970. This calculator cost $100 and could only do basic math, that is, addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. And that was it!

By the late 1970’s, you could get calculators at 1/5th the price that could practically do back flips for you!

Computers also show this. When computers with a new version of Windows comes out, the most bugs are reported. By waiting a year or two, you can often get a computer with that new version of Windows for somewhat less and also with fewer bugs.

And later versions of I-phones tend to have fewer problems and a greater range of features.

So, it’s often best not to stand in one of those long lines in anticipation of getting that first new tech toy. I know you are chomping at the bit to get it, but try to wait. Sometimes waiting as little as 6 months could mean paying just half the price, with the gadget actually doing more for you with less hassle.

And you won’t have to stand in a line in the rain.

If you like what you’ve read here, let others know of this post, blog, and site!

And thanks for reading! 🙂

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So, If Aliens Exist, Where Are They?

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Recently, a lot of earth-like planets have been discovered, and UFO sightings have been happening forever. Which has led to a general speculation about the existence of alien civilizations, fueled in part by science fiction movies and books, especially when there’s a notable movie, story, or incident, such as the Roswell incident, movies such as “”Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind“, “ET“, “Avatar“, and books such as “Chariots of the gods”.

And of course you have people on both sides of the debate on whether or not aliens exist. Where do I stand on this matter?

I do believe that aliens exist. But I’m not a zealot where possible evidence is concerned. Not every UFO, or picture of one, is necessarily an alien craft and I don’t know if ancient monuments and art were created by, or depictions of, real aliens.

But I also find it incredibly hard to believe that we are completely alone in the universe when we haven’t even begun to scratch the surface in exploring it yet. So when I hear people, including people who are prominent in society say that they don’t believe aliens exist, I think they are like the kid telling his parent he can’t find what he’s looking for when he hasn’t even looked in his room, let alone his closet or the rest of the whole house!

Of course, we still don’t have “it”, the evidence which would be absolute in proving the existence of aliens, such as their openly visible arrival here, a truly “readable” signal from them where we would know that it could only have come from intelligent life and not be something nature could create, or an artifact left here that we would somehow know was not created by humans or nature.

There is what is known as the Fermi Paradox, which attempts to explain why we haven’t been contacted yet or have found any absolute evidence of the existence of aliens.

Now, after having read an article some time ago regarding what it would take to have a successful mission to Mars, I can see that we are still very far away from having the technology to build a ship fast enough with the capability of keeping its crew alive and well for the duration, to make an interstellar journey feasible. This may also be why aliens may not have visited us yet.

What about radio signals? Some theorists say that we may be on different frequencies from what alien civilizations may be using. Possibly. But what if we are on the same frequency?

We’ve had radio since 1914. It’s 2014 now, so the first radio signals, which travel at the speed of light, have only traveled 100 light years. Any civilization further out than that, will not have received them yet. And since there’s no video, but only sound, the alien civilization would have to try to decipher the message first and determine where it came from, before it could send a meaningful reply.

And remember, a civilization only 80-90 light years from us will have only received our signals 10-20 years ago. And, once they reply, if they do, it will take 80-90 years for their reply to reach us!

But let’s say a civilization advanced enough to have radio astronomy, and enlightened enough to believe that other civilizations exist in the universe, and is only 50 light years away, receives our radio signals. Even if they only took a year to decipher the message, find out where it came from, and sent a reply back to us after that year’s time, their message back to us is still a year away from arriving here!

And if you look at just how big the universe is, (The nearest star is 4 light years away and the galaxy is 100,000 light years across with over 100 billion stars!), it’s easy to see that there might not be a civilization capable of receiving and sending radio signals within that 50 light year radius.

With video like that from TV signals, an alien civilization that can pick them up will have a better idea of what they’re seeing and has a better chance of figuring out what is being said as well as what we look like. But, TV did not come into use until the 1940’s, so these signals have only gone out about 70 light years, and if we were to get a reply back, again, assuming an almost immediate reply, that civilization would have to be no further from us than 35 light years in order for us to get that reply this year.

Also, this assumes that a civilization is advanced enough and also interested, in radio communication with us or any other civilization.

We’ve come from ancient Egypt and ancient China to now, a span of about 5,000 years, in which only in the past 200 years have we had any kind of electronic communications. A civilization only 300 years behind us could be as close as the nearest star, but we cannot know with radio astronomy alone since they’d have no way of even knowing our signals exist and nothing they have would be emitting any signals for us to pick up!

What about more advanced civilizations? Certainly they could pick up our signals and send replies back, maybe faster than light, too?

Yes, most likely, so why haven’t we heard from them? They may be too far out and haven’t received our signals yet and don’t yet have a way to “reach out and grab” them. Or they may not be interested or truly believe there aren’t other alien civilizations, and so have no interest in looking or listening.

Or it could be a case of information overload.

In 5,000 years of human civilization, we still haven’t reached or have seen all areas beneath our oceans, under the polar ice caps, or the interior of our own planet, let alone the other worlds of our solar system. Imagine an advanced civilization with access to 5, 10, or even 100 life-bearing worlds that it has already reached with manned missions. They may know about our world but just don’t have time yet to even begin exploring or communicating with us yet!

With our space telescope having discovered over 700 earth like worlds now, I can see how this could be the case. And if a means to reach them easily and safely should ever be discovered, especially if within this century, and especially if life is discovered on many of them, we, especially the scientific community, will be like a kid who’s just gotten a million toys! Every scientific organization and publication wouldn’t know where to explore first and they’d all be crying for people to come work for them as field explorers! It would be amazing!

For now, though, we can only speculate, wait, and continue to listen and explore. Someday, though, I’m sure we will find “it”, that evidence which truly proves beyond all doubt that we are not alone.

Be sure to let others know of this post, site, and blog!

And thanks for reading! 🙂

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Lose that Bath Mat!

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For years, my folks and I used bath mats for the bath tub. At first, the mats would feel great and grip well, but always, the mats would become grimy and/or mildewed, and some would lose a little bit of their grip as well.

No matter how diligently my folks or I cleaned the mat, the result was always the same. Some mats did last longer than others, but in the end, they always had to be replaced.

A number of years ago, when I visited my folks, they’d gotten rid of the mat in favor of a pair of “shower” shoes. These were some plastic slip on type of sandals or flip-flops. And they worked well. Their grip on the tub’s floor was excellent! Well, I still liked my mats so I continued with them for a while, but finally, with the last one, which just wouldn’t get truly clean, I’d had it and bought myself a similar pair of shower shoes. And they’re great!

They cost less than just about any mat, about $6 at Wal-Mart. They are easy to clean. I wash them as I take my shower and wash my feet, so they always are clean when I’m done, and this just takes about a minute, if that!

Then, they are easy to store and dry quickly. And they grip the tub’s bottom better than any mat I’ve ever tried, so I feel even safer using them.

Finally, the tub doesn’t pick up the griminess of the mat!

So, instead of a bath mat, try using shower shoes! Lose that mat and you may just be amazed!

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And thanks for reading!  🙂

 

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A Historic Day Today

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It was July 20th, 1969 and I was eager to arrive home. I was just a kid and me, my parents, and a visiting cousin, were on our way home from my grandparents’ house. I always had a great time at my grandparents’ house, about 400 miles away and always hated leaving and would often arrive home feeling the letdown, but this time, the letdown was pushed well back due to my anticipation.

You see, I’d always, even as a kid, been interested in astronomy and space exploration. And that day, July 20th, 1969, human beings were landing on the Moon!

We got home in time to watch the landing on live TV and I can still feel the emotions I felt that afternoon, 45 years later.

Since then, while there’s been some activity, it seems to have come in spurts, with long hiatus’ in between. And not just us, either. We’ve done, collectively among the few, but recently growing, space-faring nations of the world, manned activity in low and middle Earth orbit, but little else in terms of space exploration, with the exception of interplanetary probes.

I believe we could have done more by this time, especially in regards to returning to the moon. It’s not that we didn’t, or don’t have, the technology, but that we’ve let red tape and politics trip us up. Politics, in the form of governments, until recently, not allowing private companies to venture out into space, often cutting space exploration budgets in favor of other “true” pork-barrel projects, and a “not invented here” policy regarding listening to those who would know better how to keep us in space at a lower cost and who have the vision to see that, in the long, long-term, space exploration can benefit in more ways than we think. And of course, the red tape, where everything has to be filled out 10 times over, even though we live in the computer age where everything can just be copied and transferred, and mindless regulations, as well as good regulations that are enforced in a mindless manner.

So what are the benefits of exploring that great “empty” vacuum? Well, there are planets and asteroids, and gasses and other things out there that can do much for us.

In terms of science, the universe is a living chemists lab. Astronomers and other scientists are seeing things with ever advanced instruments that give us new answers as to how various elements work and also provide proof, or discredit, of the theories we have today. Being there in person, we could learn much more much faster. I read an article recently where a scientist said that a team of astronauts could do in a week on Mars, what all of the robots we’ve sent, such as Soujourner, Opportunity, and Pathfinder, have done in all the years they’ve been there!

In terms of resources, the solar system alone may be a vast storehouse of all kinds of mineral resources, just waiting for us to go out and get them. Instead of getting coal and iron, and rare metals from here on Earth, with all of the environmental and cultural issues involved, imagine if we could get it from some lifeless asteroid or moon instead!

And of course, there’s the question of life outside of Earth. It may be life as we don’t know it, but I think we would recognize it if we discovered it. And while it wouldn’t initially affect the individual on Earth, it would answer some big questions about how rare or common life is and would let us all know that Earth is not as unique in being a life-bearing planet as we at first thought.

But at least one question has been answered. We can reach other worlds.

Recently, private companies, such as SpaceX, have been coming into play, with a good measure of success. Also, more nations have sent people into space on their own and are talking about going to the moon in some cases. I wish them well and hope that the advent of private space-faring companies and more space-faring nations, along with the discovery of a growing number of planets outside our solar system, will renew greatly the interest in space exploration.

There’s much to be learned and had from that great “empty” vacuum we call space.

If you like what you’ve read here, please let others know of this post, blog, and site!

And thanks for reading! 🙂

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Let’s Hear it For Teachers!

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I remember one of my high school teachers saying that most people think that teachers simply open up kids’ heads, pour in the knowledge, and they’re done for the day. I’ve heard people not involved in teaching say that teachers have it easy, what with having the whole summer off, as well as two weeks at Christmas and a week at Easter, days that end at 3pm instead of 5pm, etc.

So, how true is this? Well the fact of the matter is that people have a real misconception about teachers, and, while it is true that there are, and have been, some really bad ones out there, the vast majority are good and are often unfairly tarred by the impressions that the bad apples, and administrators, leave on the public.

Let’s examine some of the myths regarding teachers:

Teachers get the holiday season and the whole summer off! 

Yes, they do, and it is a nice perk, but, unlike members of Congress, they don’t get paid for more than two or three weeks of it, about what an average worker would get for their 2-3 week vacation! Teachers have to manage their salaries so that they can cover the 2-2 1/2 months per summer where they aren’t paid.

Teachers just mostly talk all day at the kids, how simple is that! They have such an easy job!

If you’re more than 5 years old, you must have seen some kid somewhere act up. If you’re a parent, or old enough to be one, you know you have! Just imagine 25, 30, or often more kids and several are acting up, not listening, or just not getting it. And you realizing that they are not your kids, so you must show more restraint in how you handle them! Add in all the special things that a teacher needs to do besides talk. Such as explaining things, grading papers, talking to parents, dealing with the different personalities of each kid, pulling “playground duty” at recess and lunch, keeping the classroom in order, coming up with lesson plans, and of course, dealing with administrators, some of whom have never taught a class of any kind in their lives yet think they know everything. Which leads to the next myth,

Teachers’ days end at 3 pm while everyone else works til 5pm!

Class time may end at 3pm, but not the teacher’s day. They have papers to grade, lesson plans to be drawn up, oftentimes extra curricular activities to supervise, meetings, often mindless ones, that administrators make them attend, parental meetings, and special events to attend.

Teachers don’t teach and just want to be pals to the kids!

Certainly some are like this. But most are not. However, they are often prevented from enforcing much discipline and are restricted from teaching, or not teaching, certain subjects or in certain ways, by our PC mentality, overbearing and cowardly administrators, and sue happy parents of all stripes.

If you really think about it, and use the “Mental Hand” that I wrote about in my earlier post, The Mental Hand, you’ll see that teachers, especially good ones, have a really tough job.

I’m not saying that every time there’s a teachers’ strike or the threat of one, that the teachers are always right, but I do believe that they do deserve a respect, from the general public, that they don’t get today.

If you can read this post, especially if you can read it easily and understand it, thank a teacher!

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And thanks for reading! 🙂

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Don’t Know What to Eat on the Road? Try This!

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So, you’ve decided to take a road trip. Yes, you’ve packed some snacks, but didn’t really relish the idea of taking sandwiches for lunch, dinner, or breakfast for that matter. And you don’t like the fast food selections you’ve been passing.

Well, there is a good alternative. You may come across a larger food store, such as an Albertsons, Winco, Kroger, Raleys, Safeway, Walmart, or some other. Many of these larger supermarkets will have sandwiches and other items ready-made and kept refrigerated, just waiting for you! And, at some of these stores, there may even be a full cafeteria of items as well. And if you’re a Costco member, good food is available there, too!

You can stop and eat a hot meal at some. Or, you can select from their refrigerated products, which, in addition to sandwiches, can include wraps, burritos, and salads. And some of the items can be had for less than at some fast food places!

Then, at the same store, you can find individual sized drinks as well. Then you can stop at that nearby rest stop just down the road. Oftentimes there are tables available, along with restrooms. And sometimes they just happen to have an awesome view as well, and you’re set!

I’ve done this and it’s great! Oh, just don’t forget those snacks from home, too! We still like those!

Have a great trip!

If you like what you’ve read here, let others know of this post, blog, and site.

And thanks for reading!  🙂

Unknown's avatar

Try a Cruise This Summer!

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Vacation time is here and there’s a great many choices out there! And one choice is to take a cruise.

A cruise? Isn’t that for the very rich and wouldn’t it be very boring, with lots of old people and boring days at sea? Most likely, the answer is no, and has been for a long time.

There are all kinds of cruises and cruise/fly combos out there. And even the ‘standard’ Caribbean and European cruises don ‘t fit that stereotype.

Advantages of a cruise? There are a great variety of types of cruises. For all kinds of people and tastes. There are cruises to Antarctica, cruises along rivers, more intimate cruises on smaller vessels, cruises that drop you off on a secluded beach or island, where you create your own adventure from there, and so on.

On many cruises, you can visit several places, with most of the time at sea being at night and tours during the day.

Oftentimes, on the larger vessels, you may have a great variety of entertainment and dining options, so that staying on board can be a viable option as opposed to taking tours at each port of call.

Cruise prices are more competitive now and within reach of more people today.

In 1992, I took a Caribbean cruise and it was great! I visited Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guadalupe, Grenada, Caracas, and Aruba, and took day tours at each port of call. And the ship was large enough to provide various entertainment options. It was far from boring and, at the same time, I saw that it accommodated the varying tastes of different kinds of passengers, too. And it shattered my stereotypes of cruising.

A few years earlier, my cousins went on a cruise where they had some beach time on what amounted to “their own beach” for a short amount of time. They, too, had a great time. Another person I know has gone on several cruises in North America and Europe and never had a bad time on any of them.

Are there disadvantages? Sure. Destinations can change due to weather, civil unrest at a port of call, health problems on board, and mechanical problems. One cruise my cousins went on was disrupted by a hurricane. Another person I know, was on the cruise following mine in 1992, and had to miss Caracas due to riots having occurred the day before. And of course there are the norovirus stories and recently the stories of cruise ships that had to be towed back to port.

Fortunately, these are less common than the media would have you believe. So, how to plan a cruise? First, do your research. If you know a good travel agent, use them. If not, find one. Booking a cruise yourself can be fraught with mishaps. An experienced travel agent can be sure that all your connections are viable and, if something goes wrong, they are much more able to help you than you can help yourself.

Also, get a passport if you don’t already have one, and if you do, make sure that there is more than 6 months left to renew it. It will make life much easier.

So, if you haven’t ever taken a cruise and want to do something different this year, book a cruise!

Bon voyage!

If you like what you’ve read here, please let others know of this post, blog, and site!

And thanks for reading! 🙂