I'm Sorry Dr. Schmidt

For a few years I worked as a tech at an emergency vet clinic. I didn't always think so at the time but it was a wonderful experience that I look back on now with the most fond memories. But that's not what this post is about.

We had 2 regular doctors and the remainder of the shifts were filled by a rotation of regular vets in the community - a group of them had formed a board to open the clinic. The shifts were long for the doctors, 6pm-8am. They were allowed to sleep so most of the time and I guess it was not so bad, just a night away from home on a crappy bed.

One of the founding board members was a tall, girthy, shabby gentleman named Peter Schmidt. He and his brother Joe ran one of the priciest - and best? - clinics in the town. There was a air about them that many people found pretentious or just plain snobby. While Joe seemed like a grown up and settled down tree hugger, Peter looked more like a middle aged Chris Farley -if Chris Farley were a bookish nerd with dark hair, an uncombed beard, glasses, and a lab coat.

Dr. Schmidt would arrive for his shift carrying a stack of no fewer than 5 books, each hardback and with no fewer than 500 pages. He carried the stack at a specific angle - ensuring the books could be held steady by his chin, while still accounting for the outward curvature of his belly - that allowed him the use of one hand if needed. You may think they were books on veterinary medicine he might want to reference as emergency care is not exactly common place in a regular vet clinic that mostly does well visits, but this was his collection of current recreational reading.

I asked him more than once why he would read so many books at the same time and not just read one at a time. He always gave the me same answer: You watch more than one TV show at a time, don't you? I'll point out here that Peter was married and had 2 sons that were somewhere between 8 and 13 years old and they had no television in their home. I thought him ridiculous - in addition to the unpleasant snobbery - and never asked anything about the books themselves. He came to represent a certain image in my mind that was not at all admirable.

I never learned to love reading. I have some mild dyslexia that always made it a little harder for me when it came to reading. I very much love stories so I loved to be read to, watch movies, see theater, et cetera. But I struggled with reading comprehension and speed so I was embarrassed - already being the fat kid made me rather reluctant to call attention of any kind to myself - so I just didn't read. I'm sure my academics suffered immeasurably because of this. Not only could I not imagine that a person could read so many books at the same time, but I just simply couldn't fathom that anyone would want to. Just the thought of it made me a little light headed.

Fast forward nearly 10 years and I find myself rereading a novel about the history of philosophy - as a refresher for when I return to school. It's a deep read and I can only do a few chapters at a time because I need to digest what I've read. That said, I do want to continue reading. So today I went to one of my book shelves - while I may not be an avid reader I have always loved to be around books so I snatch up all of them that I can and now have the beginnings of a nice collection - to pull a second book to read while stewing in the information from the first. I chose a second book that would be what the first was not. It's light and familiar and humorous; Kitchen Confidential.

And now, I find that I have gained a bit more respect for and possibly a small understanding of Dr. Peter Schmidt.

Good mail makes me happy

Resolve it - 98% won't

According to surveys, only 8 percent of Americans successfully achieve their New Year's resolutions. A whopping 45 percent fail by the end of January! Why is it that people can't keep to their resolve?

I think it's a matter of perspective. When you begin something with the notion that you have an entire year - 52 weeks, 365 days, 8760 hours - to get it done, it's nearly inevitable that you will wait to begin and every day that you wait it becomes less and less important to you until your actual want to do it just a well intentioned "meant to." There is no urgency to saying you will start something at the beginning of a term.

I say then that we should throw some "now or never" into the mix. Instead of having a New Year's resolution, make a Year End resolution. What is the one thing you would do before this year is up and gone and you never had the chance again? Consider it your last shot. Before the calender flips to another year, what is it that you want to have done or begun in this year?

Make a list and then DO IT! None of this rubbish of waiting until after the ball drops. After nearly 2 months of parties and stress you'll get all liquored up on the 31st and have a weeks worth of hang over and cleaning up to do; that is no time to be keeping resolutions. This is your last chance to make this year your own and I say don't squander it. Sprint to the finish! Go out with a bang! Et cetera, et cetera.

Good Luck with your Year End Resolutions! I would love to know what you accomplish so please post a comment.

Wall-e and Eve, just the begining?

Many years ago when I took my first philosophy class (Intro to...), the professor assigned us a short paper on Intelligent Design. Did we think it was possible for a machine to be equal to a human? At the time I was young and convinced I knew it all and if not it wasn't that important. Oh, the ignorance of youth. I wrote about how a computer wouldn't be stupid, as so many people are, because the point of machines was to eliminate error. I can't believe I didn't fail that course, and even more so that they actually let me in as a Philosophy major the next term.

I have been rethinking this topic of ID lately. My first reaction is to immediately say 'No, a machine could never be equal to a human,' but I am really not sure. I know nearly nothing about robotics, computer science, mechanics or any other field that would assist in a proper understanding and analysis of ID, but I do know people. Sociology was my unofficial second major.

I want to say, to believe, that there is something about us that could never be duplicated by machines. Of course it's something that couldn't happen now or even in the near future. Robotics technology is still a long ways from achieving the kind if finesse necessary to construct the complex strength and fragility of the human body. Medical science if also not advanced enough to replicate the body's interconnected systems of nervous, circulatory, respiratory, endocrine, et cetera.

Even if these industries could unlock and match all the physicality of our bodies and minds, would that be enough to create a non-biological human? Ever person has the same biological constructs, but just like all snowflakes are ice and no two are the same no two people (even identical twins) are completely alike. There is something undefinably unique about each one of us and I can't imagine how that could be uncovered much less reconstructed and applied to a robot.

In the end, I just don't know. I learn things all the time that I can't believe are possible, or would even consider could exist on a conceptual level. I suppose we'll all just have to wait and see what happens and when the 'Ought we...' bridge comes, then we can discuss it further.

5 things to be happy about

1- found a most fantastic tie at a thrift shop yesterday for 2$
2- also found wonderfully & quirky pair of pink knitted slippers
3- I have some great friends that are going out of their way to help me prep for the show. Thanks again Emily, Suzi, Ariel & Dan!
4- my neurotic planning should result in a successful show tonight...I really hope so anyway
5- interview on Wednesday morning