Entry for June 13, 2007

The "global warming" camp is getting in everyone's face lately. If you haven't noticed, you have your head in the sand. Yes, global warming is happening. But it's not entirely because of humanity. Why do all the activists live in the democratic countries? Why don't they ship a boatload over to places like China? Oh, that's right. Because they'll get executed or jailed for speaking out against the government. Never mind that the "3rd world" countries are the worst culprits for global warming conditions. Get out of my face. I've done all I can. You people are preaching to the choir.

Earth is getting ready for some massive upheavals. It happens on an average of every ten to twelve thousand years. Guess what? We're the lucky ones who get to experience it. All the pointers are predicting 2012. I won't go to extreme of a precise date. Nobody is that accurate. I don't care what you say about people like Nostrodamus and Cayce. The two theories I'm leaning toward is either an astroid strike, or a major magnetic pole shift. Maybe both. And not necessarily in that order. Everything you've learned about plate tectonics happens after that. Supposedly the Atlantians tried to warn us about this, but we're too politically correct to look in the only place left with the info to discover wat happened. The chamber under the Sphinx's right front paw has been "discovered", even though it was already foretold. But for some reason, it has not been entered. And all the other locations around the world have either disintegrated from time, or were distroyed by war or other human interference. But most of us already suspect this inevitability. After it's over, we'll be able to ask the Atlantians ourselves.

Yeah, I sound like a "the end is near" crackpot. Well, guess what? It is. Preaching about the dangers of global warming now is too late. You needed to be around during the industrial revolution. But global warming is just an indicator of something that is going to happen that only God can stop now. My question to you is, are you ready to meet your Maker?

Instead of preaching, you need to be praying. Because it's gonna happen. I just hope the rock falls on my head. I hate painful suffering.

Entry for February 19, 2007

I've taken my "October Moonbase" offline for a bit. Physical Reality isn't cooperating with me. Neither are finances. It's kind of hard to build a moonbase out of LEGOs when you can't afford to buy 'em. I'll announce when I have it back up.

On an unrelated note; we have a gizmo at work that pumps a soapy chemical similar to Rid-X thru the pipes to the outside grease traps. It's a very simple affair. A timer, battery pack, and pump. That's it. The reason I mention this, is a couple of weeks back the thing wasn't working, so I had changed the battery pack. It also turns out the timer was turned off. Well, a few days ago the manager asks me if the "McFree bot" was working.

Bot?

Now I would NEVER have considered that thing a bot. But part of a defination of robotics is automation. And the pump is definately automatic. Not autonomous. but automatic. Yes there is a chip in place to run the show. But, I mean, c'mon, it's a simple mechanism. There is a mindset change happening in society. What I think of as a gadget, others are now calling a bot.

Robotics is definately on the move, to loosely use a term. One day in the VERY near future, we're gonna be seeing these machines and not pay them any mind. Until one day you're out of a job. They won't take over the world. They have no use for it. It's physical. Their domain will be virtual. All you need to do is hit the off switch, and they're nothing but so much plastic, metal, and silicon. If you ever come across a machine that has learned to put it's power switch in front to protect itself, then we'll have problems.

No, I'm not going to be around when the machines are smart enough to replace people in mass. But the people that WILL be around are already entirely comfortable with the concept of burger flipping machines and a colorful speaker inside the lobby of the local fast food place with a perfect electronic voice offering you choices and specials.

The passing of Mr. John Tobin

Hmm, where to start...

I received a call around 8 pm tonight. An "older" acquaintance of mine has passed on. His name is John Tobin. I received an email earlier in the day saying that he had been admitted to the hospital with advanced pneumonia. I knew it wouldn't be long. He had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's some years back. The last time I had heard anything about him was a little over a year ago. He didn't recognize anyone.

I first met John through another close friend of mine, Dylan. John was Dylan's seventh grade teacher "back in the day". We were all model railroaders then. Dylan had learned that "Toby" had a layout in his basement. Dylan had a 4 x 6, and I had a single loco that I ran at his place. I remember the day that Toby broke down and let Dylan in to see his layout. His exact quote to me was "I smell trains!". About a half year later, I was admitted in as well.

Over the years, the two of us were treated to all that John knew about the hobby. What were the differences in brands. Horn hook couplers verses Kadees. Tyco verses Athearn. Kato verses Bachmann. And brass track verses nickel silver. And we learned the duller sides of the hobby too. Track cleaning, cork roadbed shifting, and knocking your head on too many duck-unders. But most of all, I remember the tremendous fun we had in a dark damp basement in Chicago.

But time marches on. The yuppies were advancing on Toby's neighborhood. He and his wife were both retired by then, so a family decision was made to sell the brownstone they owned and move to smaller digs. John had thoughtfully made a video of the old layout, and took tons of pictures over the years. Dylan was offered what I considered a prize centerpiece of that old layout. A double track arched truss bridge. When I was first there, it went across the two foot isle between the layout. I loved watching the trains cross it. I got a few boxcars, and an AHM "Big Boy".

But the signs of age were starting to show on John. Even though the new basement was just half the size, the layout framework never did go together right in his own mind. The last time I was there, it was just framework, no track. And finally, my wife and I moved to Michigan. So I never did see if the layout got completed. About five years ago, I saw Toby for my last time. I was down to Illinois to celebrate Dylan's 40th birthday. John thought of just about everything. Get together with the old train buddies at another friends home layout. Beer. Cake. And reminiscing about the "good old days". The ironic thing was that Toby almost got lost coming to the meet.

Dylan had been the one that had emailed me. And tonight, when he called to say that Toby was gone, his voice was so audibly shaken. He didn't grieve this much when his folks passed away. But I knew he did grieve. He just hid it better.

So now, I sit here, with a gin and tea next to me. And reminisce. And think about that bridge that Dylan still has. And I'm sure will never part with until his own demise.

I raise my glass in a toast: Here's to you John.

Don't knock your head on the duck-unders on God's model railroad.

Rest in Peace.

Entry for December 28, 2006

Okay, I'm pumped! I've created a new webpage on my site. It's called "October Moonbase". I've always had an interest in going to the moon. Well, it doesn't look like it's going to happen in my lifetime. But that doesn't mean that I can't create one... out of LEGOs!

Check this site out: http://www.zemi.net/moonbase/ This is a great concept. Time for my second childhood! ...Or is that my third childhood?...

Entry for December 18, 2006

Last week before X-mas. Happy HollowThanksMasEve to everyone. I hope you've survived the last three months.

Web 2.0

Web 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, etc....

Okay, I got suckered into the hype of Web 2.0.  I just read an article that pretty much exposes 2.0 for what it is:  hype.  (Had I been thinking, I would have provided a link to the article.  But at 1:45 am, I don't think too clearly.)

Anyway, that person is pretty much expecting the current bubble to pop.  Which is plausable.  I keep seeing little fish getting gobbled by bigger fish.  Sooner or later the pond is gonna run outta food.  And we're not really any closer to the concept of the Semantic Web, which is when I know the internet will have come of age.

Right now we have lots of pretty apps that work on the web.  But most of them are still platform specific.  Or written with cell phones in mind.  I use a cell phone for one reason:  "Help, my car broke down on the highway.  Come get me."  Geez, I still have a land line.  Call me old fashioned.

I have my website set up for any number of web "upgrades".  I never worried about the hype.  How did I get sucked into it so easily?  Better salesmanship, I guess.

Entry for August 08, 2006

I'm back in Cybertown.  The picture is of my 3D home there.  It's been a while since I used MSPaint.  It took me forever to remember how to see the picture from the "print screen" feature!  But now I know what I'm doing.  (Pfft; yeah right!  LOL!!)