Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Jobs that sound cool, but at a second glance?

Ever have one of those days, where you sit down and wonder, what a day working in someone else's job might be like? It's not that I don't like my job..trust me I do, but there are just some jobs that have a certain...call it romantic?..view to them.



Building Demolish
er

You get to blow up (actually implode) buldings, or maybe you just crush them with one of those big ball crushing things (too technical?). As a kid I loved taking things apart, what could be more fun right?

Of course, this actually takes a lot of training, and knowledge. You are responsible for the safety of others, for ensuring the charges are set correctly, and just before you press that button can you really be 100% sure nothing will go wrong?

Car Crusher





Somewhat similar to the buliding demolisher, you get to put the cars in the machine that crushes them into those little cube like pieces of metal. I suppose someone could be stuck in the truck, but for the most part you don't have the liability of the demolisher

Though, in the end, this might be a "one time enjoyment". I'm sure crusing the first few 10, 15, 20, 50 ? cars might be exiting and cool. But after a while, I imagine it gets a little boring. Plus I don't think this job is full-time car crushing. You probably do other things as well.

Private Investigator




A film-noir favorite. You have your stuffy little office, smoke fills the room, and in walks the pretty but desperate women. She thinks someone is trying to kill her (perhaps it's her cheating husband?), and no one else can help her..she pleades with you to take her case. You are her last resort..her hero..What can you do?

In reality, of course, very few (if any cases) are like this. Of course, you could specialize in finding out cheating husbands, but who does this really help in the end? Plus, unless you are super popular or well respected, getting clients can be very hard. The job may not be as dangerous as a secret agent, but do you really want to risk your life to earn a little dough?

Secret Agent





This one is, by far, my favorite. If I ever went dillisional, this would be my dillusion. I am a special investigator, CIA, FBI, one of those, but undercover. Trying to save the world from the hidden evils that are not made available to the public. Trusted with secret information, and ensuring that information only gets to the right people at the right time. Having special gadgets and travelling to exoctic destinations. Being a real 'super hero' in a modern world.

Most secret agents, are not really secret, and even fewer are assigned undercover duties. Although there have been some really cool espionage tools out there (See here: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/innovation/experts_qa3.html) , I've seen nowhere near the gadgets of 007.

Librarian




I love books, and I love reading, so spending my time surrounded by books and others who are interested in books, can kind of seem like a dream job. Plus with all the automation out there, returning, organizing, and classifying books, isn't all that complicated.

You do have to be a people person, and it helps if you can bring a 'perky' attitude. Plus libraries are not really paid all that well for the job they offer. Plus you also have to be a bit of a 'sales person'. Especially new people to the library, to keep them coming back, to share your love of books with others in a non-intrusive sort of way. For example, at the library where I visit each Wednesday evening, my daughter goes to the "Library Pyjama reading group". The librarian reads books, does crafts with the kids. It's great fun, but it takes a lot of work, and staying happy and perky all the time..can't be easy !

Teacher

..Just think about it, you get weekends off, more holidays then the typical worker, a break around march, and the summers off as well. Sounds like a dream job right?



Teachers are probably, one of the lowest paid professions for what they do. I have two kids, which I love to death, but sometimes they can be a handfull. If you have kids maybe you can relate. Now multiply that by 30 students in one class 5-8 hours a day. It makes me find it funny we have a phrase in our language called "Going Postal", it should be called "Going Teacher". It is amazing that more teachers don't go crazy. Don't you remember being a student? Remember what the hard time the class gives teachers..especially substitutes ?

And are you kids involved in after school activites/sports? In most most situations, teachers volenteer their time for these activites. They have to find it within themselves, after spending hours on end with your kids, to pull themselves together and help teach them other activities, such as socker, or football, or baseball. Plus, how often have you thanked your child teacher for all the work they do?.

Finally, on the "summers off". My experience is, teachers don't really get 'paid' for the summer off. What happens is, each pay, a portion is deducted, so that when the summer rolls around, that portion is distributed over that time frame. So they take even less pay for 10 months of the year so that they can be paid for the 2 months that are somewhat 'kid free'. Assuming they are not teaching summer school, or continuing after-school sports teams, etc.

So, not all jobs maybe as pretty in reality as are dreamt of in your minds. Of course, when I was a kid, a though I could be a Private Invesigator, a scienctist, and a fireman, all at the same time. :-)

Monday, May 26, 2008

I gotta be me !

Live life being the person you are, not the person you think you should be !

You don't have to be funny, smart, good natured, intelligent, good looking, a rock star, and you certainly don't have to try to be something you are not.

Take this moement to think about who you are (yeah this moment right NOW, your obviously not doing anything else important )

If you find yourself constantly trying to change to be "better", TELL, yourself, "there's nothing wrong with me I'm great !"

Self Improvement is fine... if your a serial killer and your trying to kick the habit, or maybe you want to give up smoking or drugs. But please don't loose the things that make you who you are

Always take the time to re-connect with yourself, your values, your hidden qualities, shout them out or write them in your diary.

And finally remember...no one on their death bed sighs and says "I wish I had spent more time at the office"

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Funny Out-Of-Office E-Mail Auto-Reply

Out of Office auto-replies can be great when you are on vacation, and you want to let others know you won't be checking your email.

Here 10 great Out of Office autoreplies you should consider the next time you are heading out on vacation (If you have the guts that is)

1. I am currently out at a job interview and will reply to you if I fail to get the position. Be prepared for my mood.

2. You are receiving this automatic notification because I am out of the office. If I was in, chances are you wouldn't have received anything at all.

3. Sorry to have missed you but I am at the doctors having my brain removed so that I may be promoted to management

4. I will be unable to delete all the unread, worthless emails you send me until I return from vacation on 4/18. Please be patient and your mail will be deleted in the order it was received.

Read More...

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

The Five Stages Of Windows Acceptance

From the OSNN Forums. Are you still running one of the M$ OS. Now with Vista and all it's problems, will you upgrade? If you haven't you probably will, the link below will take you through each of the grief stages you will pass through to get to the next "Great" update

Read More...

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Artificial Intelligence Thoughts

Algorithms cannot create intelligence. Programming algorthims is analogus to building "instinct" but humans have evolved out of instinct into somethimg more, so when we try to create AI algorithms we get in a loop because we are trying to create intelligent instinct which is nothing but an oxymoron.

A more abstract approach is needed, one that starts with emotions/instinct and builds on it.

Intelligence requires "emotion" on inputs, and unlike non living things, living things constantly strive away from equlibrium whlist feeling anxious if taking from equlibrium "against will"??? Controlled change driven by individual is +ive, uncontrolled changed driving my environment is -ive? maybe

Ideas to simulate intelligence

a) Simulate a Cause/Effect system/network. All inputs are scanned constantly and compared and crossreferenced. The network continues to breakdown inputs in fixed time sequences and make guesses as to what Input A -> Input/Output B. (ie: If I observe that B happens many times after I observe A, I can define a relationship between A & B

b) For each input generate a weight (-ive /ngt) based on individual "view" of the input (eg: heuristic ALL CAPS wieigh more -ive for keyboard input, STRONG text could be -ive or +ive/)

c) Create a natural "drive system". Implement an input system that generatives +ive and -ive. Entity will seek (ie: create outputs) in a drive to constantly remove itself from equilibrium. Weither by generating +ive (favorable) or -ive inputs

d) Implement Pablo's dog system. if A -> B and A -> B - > C eventually A -> C. Food causes salavation reflex, ring bell each time food is shown, eventuall bell causes salavation (expectation of food)

An example is to connect battery power levels as example/analogy to food, and "charging" status as being fed

Source Dump..

class event

level: (int +ive or -ive) strength of event

name: (undefined) seek to find what to call events?

group of events (function the same as events)

EVENT (or group of ) -> causes -> EVENT (or group of)

Make guess on EVENT based in prior events
-------------------------

Inputs can't be too exact. (ie: 2 spoken words "hello") need very similar input strings to assume it's the same word. If not, system would have to relearn word for every person who spoke it. Ironically a video input would need to be able to distiguige more detail then an audio input?