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The Future of Robotics

Ever since I picked up my first Isaac Asimov novel, I have been fascinated with robotics and what they could mean to the future of humanity. ( Wikipedia.com has a very concise description of the field and its evolution) What always struck me in my pursual of this topic was that robots were always slated to be of service to man. For example, the Robot Institute of America defines a robot as a programmable, multi-functional manipulator designed to move material, parts, tools, or specialized devices, through variable programmed motions, for the performance of a variety of tasks. Like Asimov, I thought they could be so much more -- human. When I started my education in the computer science field, my ultimate goal was to become an artificial intelligence/robotics engineer. The ethical dilemmas and concerns presented by Asimov in his novels, particularly in his Law of Robotics, heightened the interest and enthusiasm I felt when following the advancement of robotics. My interest was
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On thrift stores, books, and Phantoms

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Thrift store DEFINITION: A non-profit or for-profit retail establishment selling previously owned, second-hand items ranging from clothes, housewares, appliances, books, electronics, and miscellanea. Donations to thrift stores are usually tax-deductible. Here Wikipedia's international description of a thrift store, also known as a charity shop. The thrift store was always an exciting place to go growing up. We didn’t have a lot of money, so every couple of months, we’d hit the local thrift store for clothing and other supplies. This is a picture of the thrift store I remember the most. It’s the RAD Thrift Store, located at 215 West Main Street, Santa Maria, California. There is a smell to thrift stores (at least all the thrift stores that I have ever visited). It smells like body odor, mildew, disinfectant, perhaps ages of perfumes, cigarette smoke, dank attics, danker basements, and lastly, I suppose it smells like poverty. I can remember running through the aisles
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Pssst . . We can still see your real names!

Charlotte Proudman, a barrister in human rights law and feminist legal activist ( Pittman, 2015 ), is facing backlash over her public shaming of a man who complimented her looks in response to a connection request on LinkedIn.  She posted screen shots of his compliments on her looks to Twitter and invited public comment.  This brought to mind a post I wrote on September 19, 2014,  Pssst . . . We can see your real names on LinkedIn comments!  regarding some of the unprofessional and shocking comments posted by professionals on LinkedIn articles.  LinkedIn is not anonymous and everything we comment, write, message, or post is attached to our name. Personally, I would not have reacted as she reacted. At the very least, I would have redacted his personal information from the screen shots of his message.  But that doesn't mean she is wrong. She was very brave and willing to accept the consequences of her actions. My post, while not as brave, hopefully helps further the discussion.
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