Resolved.

I think that we're all happy to bid a heartfelt farewell to 2020 - it's not a common sentiment for January 1st, but thank god THAT'S over with.  A new year and a fresh start is now upon us, and with it, the traditional time for resolutions intended to address flaws, perceived or actual, and thereby improve one's person and personality.

However, let's start the process with the equally traditional confession of failure regarding past resolutions. I have to admit that I didn't fully complete last year's resolution to catalogue my book collection (with the concomitant task of replacing the more battered selections). 

As always when someone doesn't follow through with their New Year's commitment, I can provide a list of half-hearted explanations and excuses:  we moved in the middle of the year, packing for which temporarily removed access to my collection and broke my flow; COVID-19 limited my access to bookstores for replacement purchases; work overload in the fourth quarter made me more likely to lie on the bed after work than type the titles of books; and, surprisingly during a pandemic, more social activity on the weekend as Karli's sister Stefanie, the non-resident single member of our bubble, started coming over for weekend dinners on a more regular basis.

All that aside, I did manage to get as far as the M section of the bookshelves, and overall, it was an incredibly valuable exercise in terms of cleaning up my library.  My only regret is that I didn't log the number of replacement books that I've purchased, although I could probably make a reasonable estimate, given that most of the books went to other people rather than the donations bin.  (In a couple of cases, the texts being replaced were in such bad shape that I recycled them*, but only a few books suffered that particular fate.)  

Not only has it been valuable in terms of maintenance, but it's surprisingly enjoyable. I know that sounds like a very geek statement, and yes, there was a certain aspect of drudgery to it, but as a lover of books, it was a wonderful opportunity to get back in touch with overlooked favourites and forgotten treasures.

As such, I've decided to let last year's resolution ride for a second year. After all, if it took 12 months to get as far as M, it makes perfect sense to take another 12 months to get to Z.  (After which I'll have to do the hardcovers, but still.)  Yep, that's the plan...and I'm sure I'll get started on that any time now...

- Sid

 

* It's very unusual to throw away a book, it somehow feels almost criminal.

 

Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Well, as I like to say, the system works.  I received almost everything from my modest seasonal wish list this year:  ALL of the books, and two of my three graphic novel asks.  My thanks to my gorgeous spouse Karli for her gifts from the list, and I greatly appreciate the contributions from Karli’s mother and stepfather – although lord knows what they thought of a Christmas gift list containing a book about someone named Murderbot, another novel inexplicably titled Nophek Gloss, and something with this on the cover:

Well, it IS the season to be jolly...merry Christmas, everyone!

- Sid 

The Rest of the Robots.

 

Karli brought the Roomba home today!  It's a well-behaved early Model 800 Series, apparently too early in the product line for wifi access, but otherwise in excellent shape.

Ah, but I felt so bad the first time we pressed the CLEAN button! I'd put the charger in a quiet corner beside the wall unit in our dining area, and the poor thing was just confused - the table was right there, and the dining chairs, and Karli's mother had warned her that it got a little confused by things like that.  

It got frightened and hid under Karli's white chair, the one with the little fabric skirt, but then it got caught on the cord for the Christmas tree lights - it was SO SAD.  So tomorrow night we're going to let it start in the hallway, where it's nice and straight...hopefully that will makes things easier.

Jaq the Cat, who suffers a bit from PTSD for whatever reason, was surprisingly calm, although a little suspicious - I don't think he's going to be one of those cats that becomes internet famous by riding around on our new robot.

As you can see from the above, it's ridiculously easy to anthropomorphize Stabby* the Roomba as it trundles around the living room in an apparently random fashion, going back and forth in something rather like the pattern that a vacuuming human would use. Karli has suggested that we should get stick-on googly eyes for it, which I think is the best plan ever.

However, as with Opportunity, the defunct exploratory Martian rover, it seems like a bad idea to give robots like Stabby artificial intelligence.  In the case of Opportunity, it was due to the danger of its task - in the case of Stabby, it's the opposite: boredom.  

Stabby doesn't need to be able to calculate rocket trajectories or write Oscar-winning movie scripts, in fact, it would seem cruel to make Stabby too smart.  Ultimately, if it were possible to give Stabby some level of AI, it would make sense to make him about as smart as Jaq, and with similar interests:  taking pleasure in long naps, and deriving much excitement and enjoyment from chasing little pieces of dust around the apartment.  But no purring - Jaq needs something to maintain his unique status, and Stabby will never be quite as cuddly as our little feline friend.

- Sid

 

* Based on a somewhat obscure science fiction internet meme about a space Roomba with a knife taped to it - to quote the 12th Doctor, "Google it."