My mind. Enhanced.

So, I'd like to close of my GNR blog posts series with the topic I'm most interested in - the field of robotics. From childhood to adulthood I've always had a strong vested interest in the automation of things and machines that look and act like humans. It's only recently that I've taken interest in robots as a possible future career because I strongly believe that this coming decade will see the rise of the artificial intelligence (AI) and the future of labour will depend heavily on strong AI. Robotics will have a deep impact on society on all levels -if not already. I could talk about this stuff all day long, but I'll spare everyone superfluous digressions on the subject and maybe just focus on key things to keep an eye out for. In a recent TED Talk, economist and MIT professor Andrew Mcafee described a curious case of economic disruption taking place in America today. He noted that despite having recovered from the "Great Recession", the average

For this post, I'd like to provide a bit of history behind nanotechnology. In 1959, a physicist named Richard Feynman gave a lecture entitled "There's Plenty Room at the Bottom" at CalTech; this lecture was considered a seminal moment in the history of nanotechnology as new concepts and terms were formed for the upcoming scientific study. So, through his breakthrough ideas, Feynman proposed an overview of manufacturing techniques at the nanometre (1 billionth of a metre) scale; he went on to predict that in about three decades the microchip industry would develop transistors within 10 to 20nm in size and will fit billions of these on a single silicon substrate. Feynman was right. As evident with common place devices such as our smartphones, glasses, and watches the electronics industry (and other sectors such as biofuels) has taken full advantage of the nano scale manufacturing process. A few decades after Feynman's lecture, in 1986, a book titled "Engin

Genetics is viewed as a promising technology in the future of medicine. By studying our genes, the fundamental blueprint of organisms, we could potentially develop a diverse array of therapies used to treat human disorders and critical diseases such as cancer. At present, pharmaceutical treatments by way of blockbuster drugs, or drugs developed as a one size fits all, are adopted as one of the more effective alternatives in medicine. This approach may change as advancements in genetics research increase our understanding of diseases at the molecular level and will potentially pave way for a more personalized options in curing patients. An example of applied genetics is in gene therapy. Gene therapy is defined as the use of DNA as a pharmaceutical agent to supplement or repair genes within an individual's cell. The mechanisms of the treatment is fairly complex, but in simple form, modified retroviruses are used to hack a cell's DNA production in vitro, which then produce a pa

In the next three or four posts I'll be providing a brief overview of key emerging technologies to keep an eye on over the coming decade; these technologies are genetics, nanotechnology, and robotics - or GNR for short. This summation is directly based on Ray Kurzweil's futurist paradigm  on accelerating technologies (see MIT video in the link for an overview). Human inventions from the the wheel, to the printing press, to the modern day smartphone has helped society to advance to its next era; the emergence of GNR continues this revolutionary trend. GNR is important for the general populace to know as development and ultimate refinement of these technologies will help solve a majority if not all of the world's problem such as global proverty, hunger, and fatal diseases. Below is a brief description of the topics I intend to elaborate in future posts: Genetics Genetics is considered to be one of the greatest discoveries in biological sciences. This discovery allowed u

For any of my friends or acquaintances who have held a brief conversation with me over the past year, I may or may not have brought up the idea of the Singularity and its possible implications on the present and future timeline. For about a year, I've let it dictate my decision making in terms of pursuing a higher level of academics and definite career change. Some may have considered my views as a little off tangent and kinda loopy but with this post I'll attempt to clarify my views and explain why I'm so interested in it - and possibly why you should be interested in it too. So, first of all, what is The Singularity (shortened form of the "Technological Singularity")? Wikipedia defines it as "a theoretical moment in time when artificial intelligence will have progressed to the point of a greater-than-human intelligence that will 'radically change human civilization, and perhaps even human nature itself.'" Fair enough, but that sounds a littl

So ... according to one reader: self-reflective blogging is considered narcissistic and image crafting. In regards to my blog (as the remark was directed squarely at me), both statements aren't to be taken lightly, I mean, what does one do when is labelled narcissistic? Ignore it? Laugh it off? Insult back? My upbringing has taught me to remain calm and just take insults. Which I do - kinda. Anyway, in response to being called a narcissist and an  image-crafter , I've decided to change the tone and content of my blog to something more meaningful and contextual. I originally started this blog to trace my thoughts on technological advances that serve to transcend humanity, I've diverged since then, but as of this post I'm getting back on track. From here on, this blog will serve to inform the curious reader about the technological singularity, and if not, then I would advise you to either stop reading here on and go read another blog or whatever. So the topic for toda

An email addressed to my girlfriend: Just thought I'd share this in my view of global climate change. Glance over this report   conducted by the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) highlighting the likelihood of the global climate change due to human contributions.    If you look at the table on SPM-23, scientists of the panel believe increased drought and cyclone activity  isn't likely to be caused by human activity. Which was part of my argument earlier before you cut me off. I understand that there is increased CO2 emissions in the atmosphere and we are experiencing warmer days and nights in (some) parts of the world, and the polar ice caps are melting, but in a nutshell, even scientists who conducted the study aren't 100% sure that climate change will lead to a doomsday scenario.Climate change will continue well into 2100s and it may be hotter Earth, but they are developing technologies to curb that growth and maybe even reverse it; see below article o

In this essay, I would like to describe my thought process leading to my future career choice. I want to be a biorobotics engineer. The decision to choose biorobotics as a career was not made overnight, but months of contemplating on key points, ultimately helping me conclude that this is the profession I want to dedicate my life to. These points include my interests in robotics and biology as I developed into a young adult, the definition of biorobotics and key area that attracted me to the field, and the unlimited opportunity in what I hope to achieve in a career as a biorobotics engineer. First, growing up, I was fascinated by robots. My father, an electrical engineer, bought me toys such Transformers, and immersed me in books about robots such as the Maxx Steele series; my affection for robots continued as a teenager with mecha-based Japanese anime, such as the series Evangelion . From elementary to highschool, I was also very interested in biology, I loved the study of bacter

I took a long shower today. As I stood there looking at the plate glass door fogging up with mist from the hot water vapour I thought about things: inventions, entrepreneurial pursuits, philanthropy, success, and the list went on. I've been deeply introspective as of late as I am still in process of a lengthy transition, not just academic or career wise but overall person-wise. I realized as I grow older my values change. I'm no longer the spoiled brat waiting for my parents to spoon-feed me, or the adolescent hot-shot who feel's entitled to all the world's material riches, or the self-centered, careerist yuppie looking to move up in the corporate world. Something in me has changed and it may have something to do with Maslow's hierarchy of needs. If you take a look at the figure above, I've pretty much met the levels from the bottom up all the way to esteem needs. I've got a wonderful family (my mom, dad, siblings), a nice, little apartment I legall

"The world is going to change so dramatically in the 21st century. The important thing is to identify something, try to aim for something big rather than a small problem. Just look for industries that are functioning poorly, stagnant ... it's worth trying to change the way that industry behaves."  -- Elon Musk commenting on disruptive technology startups

I'm sitting at Starbucks on Robson and Thurlow as I write this blog. Days when I need to unwind I make the trek downtown to this particular spot. It's the perfect place to people watch. It's got a certain vibrancy not found anywhere else in Vancouver. People of all ethnicities gather here on a daily basis. Families, friends, business folk and more. Conversations are often spoken in mother tongues, like Mandarin, leaving me envious to eavesdrop in their stories, gossip, or business transactions. This place, it resonates a particular atmosphere; the smell of exotic coffee, the small bursts of steam from cappuccino machines, the dim lights, the lethargic shoppers, and the curious, talkative, foreign exchange students. It's this atmosphere that draws me here on a near weekly basis. It's this atmosphere that puts me at ease. My sanctuary, placed right in the hub of busyness - the core of downtown - no less. This cafe, I'd say is a concoction of contradictions. It

I'm fascinated by engineers. Growing up I've always been surrounded by them. My dad, an electrical engineer, my brother a budding power engineer, and my uncles - ranging from civil to mechanical engineers. I'll admit, I've never had an interest in a career as an engineer (its only now that I've found merit in the discipline), but I've always loved technology. I just never pictured myself developing it. That's now changed. I'm loving science, and I'm loving the idea of being able to create something useful out of nothing, based on the laws of the universe and current tools and community accepted, applied scientific theories. Engineering blood flows through my veins, I've just never fully tapped into my abilities. Granted, problem solving comes easy to me. For years I've applied that gift to the Arts, I think its time I gave Applied Science a bit of love too. I suppose my transformation has largely to do with helping people. As I've g

Fundamental Physics would teach us that objects put into motion stay in motion and objects in rest stay at rest. I guess this rule holds true for ambition too. I set myself on pre-calculated course, direct all my best efforts into that course and come out with finishing with positive results. Keep that momentum up and keep the motion going. It's cyclical and that rule has applied to my life's direction in regards to academics and career targets. As you can probably tell from my previous posts, I'm in transition of a new career. I've laid it out, I've told the people who matter to me what my plans are, and everyone seems to be on board with the idea. So, I'm going for it and I'm not turning back. It was hard for me to come to grips with the idea, the many things I would need to sacrifice, and calculating the risks and overall benefits should I succeed. I've convinced myself that it's an upgrade necessary not just for myself but more so for the peopl

So I thrust myself forward into world of robotics. I attended a club meeting of the Vancouver Robotics Club. Their first collaboration with the Vancouver Hack Space (VHS) was held at the VHS headquarters on E. 1st Ave in Vancouver. Going in I was a little apprehensive as I felt I may have been crashing a party. I went in uninvited with no contacts whatsoever in the club. I was greeted by a guy in a PHP (programming language) shirt and immediately I felt at home. A home full of nerds. I signed some waiver forms (personal safety and liablity) and walked around looking at some parts and robots on display. The club demoed their different inventions, a line following robot, a bartender robot, and a sort of capture the flag robot with 180 degree frontal sensors. I'm inspired. I spent a portion of my day so far looking at local companies offering robotic and electronic components. It's time I got started on my dream. It's starting ... into the rabbit hole I go.

Today I witnessed a man in a wheelchair scooting his way uphill. He was persistent. His wheelchair handlebars (normally used for someone to push him from behind) were cut off. I thought to myself, how much easier it would be for this man to have new legs. And then it hit me. It would be very easy.

I drown myself in books and TV to escape often the cold harshness of reality. Its been like that since I was a teenager. Its a good way to kick back and not have to think about things that would normally stress me out. But too much of escapism is a bad thing as it holds back progress. I need to get back on my feet and start being productive again. I need to start achieving again.

I'm on my way to work on the skytrain as I write this blog. I'm standing up as I type. Imagine what level of intelligence and cooperation was needed to make this technological feat. The cell towers to go up. The protocols to draft. The development environments to build. Imagination and the need to create something brand new is what drove the groups to put this all together. I need to tap into that innovative thinking. If not on my own then as part of a community. So many channels to choose from. Where to start?

My sister gave birth to handsome baby boy today. She named him Joshua. It's Hebrew for salvation. Very appropriate. The first half Chinese born Hidalgo. The first of my father's grandchildren. The first born of a new generation who will continue our legacy and usher in a new era of grace and prosperity. So much promise. So much potential. Our salvation is born.

Its father's day. After some deliberation I decided to open the shed and look for some of dad's tools. I found some electronic testing equipment, some diodes, transistors, and other electrical components. So, I'm embracing my electrical engineering genes and realizing there is much I've inherited. Much knowledge to bring out, and much to further develop to the next phase of my individual evolution.

We are often called to find reason for phenomena that happen in our everyday lives. Events that occur are just events. We leave it up to our brain to process those events and find a logical explanation to them. There is a reason for everything. For direction in academics, change in career or choice in significant others. It is reason that leads us, it is reason that keeps us committed. Commitment (to an idea) is nothing more than a devotion to right reasoning. Falling out of commitment is not necessarily lack of devotion to that idea but perhaps a change in reasoning to pursue another type of commitment. Whatever that may be.

We all make choices in life; sometimes they are good choices and sometimes they are bad. But what if there wasn't a good or bad choice. What if it was just a choice made based on the current knowledge and logic known at the time. And what if it was something natural that happened that we had no control over.  Which leads me to question whether we have choice at all or is everything we do part of a larger predetermined plan working towards a goal for the greater good of all mankind?

This post is meant to portray a snapshot in my life, because I'm about to embark on new territory, a new life story and this entry will capture how I am thinking now so I can look back it in the future and remind myself why I made the decision back then, which is now. That being said, let's begin. It's a sunny afternoon and I spent the better part of my day in my bed napping and self-reflecting. I'm at a point in my life where I need to make some decisions, some pretty important ones, and they need to be calculated precisely for more desirable positive results. Or not. I've come to appreciate my brain for its good traits and bad traits. Good traits, being able to recognize patterns quickly and develop out of the box ideas that are cohesive and logical. Bad traits, like short term memory thinking. Forgetting where I put my keys, small errands, etc.  Appreciating my strengths and weaknesses helps me stay calm even if my plan isn't going according to way I origin

An Aesop Fable once told the story of a crow... ... perishing with thirst, saw a pitcher, and, hoping to find water, flew to it with great delight. When he reached it, he discovered to his grief that it contained so little water that he could not possibly get at it. He tried everything he could think of to reach the water, but all his efforts were in vain. At last he collected as many stones as he could carry and dropped them one by one with his beak into the pitcher, until he brought the water within his reach, and thus saved his life. The moral of the fable notes that necessity is the mother of invention . At work today, I wasn't content with my keyboard and the repetitive nature of copy pasting stuff for filing tickets. So, I downloaded AutoHotKey and scripted about 20% of my routine tasks, ie creating a ticket, copy pasting body of email, etc. The effort paid off, I haven't run any tests to quantify how much time I'm saving, but I am delighted everytime I use a hotk

It was a sunny afternoon, dad and I were driving to the airport to pick Raymond up. I cant remember how we got into the conversation but dad reflected on some of the things he achieved during and after college. He told me about his dream once to complete his masters in robotics, he talked about some of his inventions, and his business ideas, and stuff he'd accomplished pre-Canada. The conversation was brief but it was enough for me to stick yet another fork in the road. And so, here I am now at the fork, aware of my purpose and my responsibilities being the first born son of my father.

To all my detractors, I plead you live a happy life and an end to all your sufferings; for the world suffers enough. Sincerely, Roan

Begin each day by telling yourself: Today I shall be meeting with interference, ingratitude, insolence, disloyalty, ill-will, and selfishness – all of them due to the offenders’ ignorance of what is good or evil. But for my part I have long perceived the nature of good and its nobility, the nature of evil and its meanness, and also the nature of the culprit himself, who is my brother ... therefore none of those things can injure me, for nobody can implicate me in what is degrading. - Marcus Aurelis Meditations

Sustainability is a (not so new) trend that is receiving a good amount of spotlight recently. This trend encourages people to think about the environment and living in harmony with nature. That's good for the Earth, but what about living in harmony with nature within the human spirit? Some of us believe that each individual has his / her own purpose in life and that purpose is found when one has discovered and established their gift. Their gift being a skill or talent they believe they were born to do - because they're good at it. But what if we don't know what we were born to do? Some of us wander aimlessly, flowing along with the norm, finding nothing and everything interesting with little or no direction in life. Well, I've got a suggestion for those who don't know what they were born to do; they need to look at their family; they need to consider what was previously accomplished by their parents (close relatives) and try to improve on that. Thinking in that di

Poor in spirit or money, doesn't matter. Just help them regardless. Gloria and I had this pretty interesting discussion about the poor and its root causes. I told her I just want to help them no matter what the reason is for their misery. The world is a beautiful place and there are some people who see that, but for those who don't we need to show them that beauty. Show them life is worthwhile and help them understand their future is bright and the world needs them. The world would be a better place if everyone had a good life. Everyone in this world, even the poor more so, deserve a good life.

Dad bought a smart phone finally. This is a pretty big event for everyone. He's the last member in the family to own a smartphone. It took him a while but he finally realized the benefit of having a light-weight mobile computing device in the palm of his hands, as well all other conveniences of having a cellphone, ie quick calling from where ever you are in the city. This is a big deal for me especially because it affirms the inevitable truth - everyone adopts technology; even the most stubborn Luddite will give in. That makes me happy. Because something big comes this way and we all need to brace for this big thing whether we want to or not.

Today was my birthday. Gloria made me my favourite cake - Black Forest. Damn good too. At 33, I realized I am where I should be. Everything is going according to plan. Some things could use a little improvement, but I am working on them. I am happy with this life. I have everything I need and all I could ever ask for. A good family, a good girlfriend, and a good brain hungry for new knowledge. Everything else I possess is just material and superficial. I feel sorry for those who base their successes on the material things like money, cars, and real estate. The pursuit of truth and virtue is best at the forefront of everyone's ambitions. As for my birthday wish, I made a wish that matters for humanity. Following age old traditions, I shall keep it a secret - now and forever embedded in my mind - for myself to pursue and for the world to experience when it happens.

I've been reading Marcus Aurelius'  Meditations for the past month, and from it I've come to appreciate accepting things for the way they are. Just let things be, good or bad; anything that happens in this universe is all part of a bigger plan. I'm also beginning to realize that all issues arise from ignorance. And that those who do others wrong, oft do not do it willingly but because they do not know any better. Those in pursuit of truth and virtue must take it upon themselves to instruct those who do harm out of ignorance. There are other levels of complex philosophical content in the book that could use further inquiry, I could dissect and lay out a methodical analysis of the axioms described but that requires more reflection and time spent doing research and such. For now, just take note, Meditations encourages good moral conduct by accepting the nature of the world, ethics and so forth.

In this world / universe we can make things an infinite amount of ways. However, which way is the most efficient? Is there more than one efficient way? If there is, how do we all agree on just that one efficient way? For engineers its a collaborative effort. Enter the International Standards Organization ( ISO)  - a leading body that develops standards to promote global technology growth. For example, the standard optical disk image file format is named after the governing body (ie, .iso image). In my experience, I've had to follow some quality control measures based on ISO policies for medical devices. The ISO is significant because we all have genius ideas of improving life through technology; and the likelihood that two people anywhere across the globe have the same bright idea nowadays is very high. The ISO is there to provide collaboration and equality among all engineers everywhere. Without collaboration we have disparity which may lead to enmity and therefore warfare. That

The kids are on spring break. My brother and I thought it a good idea to drop by and say hi to the kid cousins. I promised Jorry I would help him build his bipedal robot with his Lego Mindstorms. We ended up building the original robotic like buggy with touch sensors. Pretty cool watching the thing move after programming the NXT box. The programming part of the NXT kit is probably the trickiest. Took Jorry about an hour and a half to figure out how to program a back and forth movement by touching the front and back sensors. He learns fast though. I was busy still trying to grapple the bits and pieces of the system by going through the manual. In other news, I took a career workshop today. It was there I announced to the group that I wanted to become a biomedical engineer specializing in robotic prosthetics.

Saw "Oz the Great and Powerful" on Tuesday with Gloria, Jan, and Marielle. I like that couple. They are good people. People who don't think I'm a liar. Anyways. It was an "okay" movie. It had its moments and the visual effects were pretty good. I did like the ending, especially when Oz recruited common folk to his cause and of course concluded with a happy ending. I did note the Tinkerers, who, with all their ingenuity, helped Oz make a contraption that would ultimately turn the war to the people's favour. I like the idea of using the resources that you have, analyse and maximizing their potential uses, building something amazing, and finally using that amazing something for a good cause. That is neat. People who invent stuff are neat. People like Thomas Edison and Nicola Tesla. Ingenuity is amazing.

Had some tea and donuts with my brother yesterday after church. I've been attending St Patrick's regularly lately due to its convenient 5pm mass, and its close proximity to one of my favorite donut / coffee shops  - 49th Parallel on Main St. Donuts are so good. My brother is pretty important figure in my life. He takes care of pretty much everything I lack at home. He's a homebody, taking care of chores and things at home, while I enjoy taking care of my own objectives outside of home. Imagine my father's personality split into half. Both personalities intelligent, one more compassionate the other indifferent. I'm the indifferent one. Brotherhood doesn't necessarily entail relation by blood. I've got brothers outside of my immediate family and home. It's a new thing an it may take a while getting accustomed to the idea, but I'll get there. Brother. Brotherhood. It's all about trust.

So I've been consistent with my workout routine lately. Been going at least three times a week, 30 minute cardio, 30 minute circuit. I'm starting to feel addicted to the serotonin rush after pushing my physical limits. And that clarity of mind after the rush fades feels damn good too. When I get home, after a shower, I sit and meditate, when I reach nirvana I feel like I'm in heaven. Excellent habits all around. Keeps me positive. Keeps me happy.

I ordered the original fat burger and sat down. As I munched on fat burger goodness, across the street I observed an abundance of residential and commercial growth along the Brentwood / Lougheed Highway corridor. Something big is happening and it's happening right here in this very area. I then started thinking about Intel. I remember watching this documentary on the birth of Intel (the chip r&d / manufacturing firm); the film traced the history of its core founders Robert Noyce and Gordon Moore. Moore, as the common nerd would know, is credited for theorizing Moore's Law; a law that states the number of transistors on a microprocessor doubles about every two years (although evolution of the microprocessor is now reaching its apex). And Noyce, is often credited for inventing the integrated circuit (along with Jack Kilby). Their firm, prior to Intel was Fairchild Semiconductors, a company believed to have jump-started the growth of Silicon Valley. Anyway, before I go off o

Our planet is an incredible place. Gloria and I have been watching the BBC documentary series Planet Earth for about a week now and we totally love the show. From the African savannah to the polar ice caps of the Arctic, it's amazing to see animals in their natural environment (as opposed to a zoo) and their daily interactions and habits mixing with other animals. The food web is a delicate balance too, savage by nature, but necessary. Gloria tends to look away when she sees baby ducks get eaten by foxes or polar cubs dying from starvation. Earth is a good planet. So much rich organic complexities to study and observe. So much knowledge still unknown. So many good discoveries to be made. Earth. So. Awesome.

It's true when they say music is the window to the soul. As some of you know, I've had a heavy fascination with robots lately (obsession more like), so my ears and eyes have been open to everything futuristic and robots related. I came across this song entitled "Nanobots"  by They Might be Giants. It's a good song, it helps feed my  insatiable hunger for Singularity related ideas. Click the video to listen to the song (clip synced to Pinky and the Brain scenes lol) I later found this article on  buzzinemusic , in it the interviewer asks John Linnell (songwriter) the source inspiration for the song. Buzzinemusic : Just out of curiosity, is the song “Nanobots” about the theory of the Technological Singularity - the scenario where artificial intelligences start building their own intelligences and everything gets out of control. Jesse L : Oh, right, right. Well, in a way it is. I'll tell you what it's really about: it's about reproducing, which

Here is a video of Boston Dynamic's BigDog throwing a cement block with its jaw / face claw.

Had a pretty interesting discussion at the lunch table today. Doris is always fun to listen to. Today she told her story about bit coins, a currency unregulated by the government but has monetary value to a small network of people. Ummm ... The future of money perhaps? Dunno.

So I just completed the time trials mode for Flow Free. A logic type puzzle game found in the Google Play store. My achievements were as such 30 seconds 5 puzzles completed 60 seconds 8 puzzles completed 120 seconds 22 puzzles completed 240 seconds 39 puzzles completed As you can clearly see, the number of puzzles completed doubled (more or less) each game iteration. Double the number of seconds double the number of puzzles completed. Fascinating.

Corporate indeed. When I was given the news I remembered my Stoic training and remained calm. After all was said and done, I walked to the bus and texted Gloria. Then I started thinking about my next steps. I realized then that I'd been given the opportunity to open many windows and knock on many doors to get me where I needed to go. My appointment with WorkBC isn't until Tuesday next week, but I've been keeping busy calling up my network of people to get me started on my dream. Corporate restructuring is what they said, with what the future holds ... we shall see In other news, I met a girl on my way to SFU Central City, she provided me with some insights on the general SFU application process and light direction as to what programs I could consider. After I divulged with her my ambitions to attend the university, namely the Mechatronics or Interactive Arts program, she suggested Interactive Arts. She was nice. She also liked Yoga.

She called me a ninja this morning. In and out of the house in the blink of an eye. Her sense of humour is back and so is her will to get better.

Its been a few days since my last post, just thought I'd give an update to my readers about what I've been up to lately. Not much; to be honest. Well, actually I have been busy pursuing the Truth and not permitting treasonous thoughts  - or anything for that matter - to bar me from that pursuit.

So, I Googled the meaning of my name which - for the last decade - I assumed meant some sort of reddish color on a horse. Which it is, but that's not the entire story. The word Roan is derived from a proto-Germanic (Frisian) word Hraban meaing "Raven". And as for the symbolic meaning of the word, well ravens were usually associated with the Frisian (and or Norse) god Woden (Odin). The word Roan is also Gaelic which means "little red head", and is sometimes spelled Rowan as per the British, or Rouen as per the city in Normany. A city originally inhabited by Gaelics.

Today is Sunday. A day of rest. It also happens to be church day. Here's a little comic by Farside capturing the reason why we have jerks in the world.

It's approximately 10pm CST as I write this blog. I'm sitting here thinking about my dreams and ambitions, the road ahead. The path I wish to take. I'm determined to get them done. I wish to achieve not for myself but for my family and the betterment of mankind. I've been given new hope. An insightful, optimistic view of the future. I'm old, but I can use whatever is left of my version 1.0 body, salvage it, patch it, and polish it up to like it's as good as new. I can do this. It's worth the effort. It's worth the try.

I woke up today in my hotel in Alexandria, Louisiana. I laid in bed for about an hour or two watching YouTube videos about Stoicism. Then I went onsite and met the PACS Administrator. He was East Indian. I found that a little surprising. After the site visit we went out for some Daiquiri and craw-fish. Damn good Cajun style craw-fish. So. Damn. Delicious. It was a good day in Alexandria. Tomorrow is upgrade day. Go time.

I've always believed in the value of education. I've decided to finish my degree in something. This is to fulfill Aristotle's Ethos attribute. Ya know the whole Ethos, Pathos, Logos thing people seem to like talking about in a debate? I had an epiphany today. I concluded that all you need to master to become an engineer is two things: Math and English. Elementary to Highschool Math and English. Math and English which eventually evolve into Physics and Philosophy. Master those and the world becomes your very own giant sandbox.

Watch "Jeffrey Brenzel : The Essential Value of a Classic Education" on YouTube I'm currently watching this. It's feeding my insatiable hunger for knowledge. Nom nom nom. If wisdom was a cookie then I am the cookie monster.

Systemic Vascular Resistance (SVR). Dunno. Maybe a clue to help me save my mom.

I love robots. I love Transformers. I love being a nerd. And yesterday I gained a new follower. My new protégé. Jorry. We are going to invent the worlds first transforming building.

I cooked today. I made Feijoada. It's a Brazilian dish. The recipe can be found in the link below: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/feijoada_brazilian_black_bean_stew It was time consuming but very delicious in my opinion. The homestay student seemed to have liked it just a little. He's Brazilian so he knows the good type of Feijoada. He politely said it was good but it tastes a little different from what he is used to. He invited me to come visit him in Brazil so he can cook me the same dish - but better. Haha. Fair enough.

So I'm learning how to play the piano. My aunt is providing the formal weekly 1 hr lessons and Gloria helps once in a while to tutor me in the interim. I'm actually quite enjoying it. I'm learning a lot faster than normal and my aunt says I've got a good brain for it. I listen to Mozart 23 and K 448 1st movements when I wake up and before I go to bed. Apparently it helps gives the brain a boost for about 15 minutes after listening to about 10 minutes worth of the scores. My brain. I can feel it getting better by the day.

I just completed an IQ test app downloaded from the Google Play store. I scored 113. Apparently that's an above average score. Approximately 16% of the US population is at this level. 2% are 120 IQ and above. I'm in the top 18%. That's nice to know. It's given me a good self esteem boost.

Say you were riding in a car with a bud, you notice he's driving a bit fast. You stay silent as you are not the driver. A cop shows up behind him and signals to pull over. Your bud is given a $300 speeding ticket. And here comes the surprise, your buddy asks you to pay for half of the ticket as you were the passenger and did not remind him to slow down. Do you pay him half the speeding ticket?

Here are a few slogans I've found for big tech companies IBM: Let's build a smarter planet. Motorola: Intelligence everywhere. Google: Don't be evil. Fascinating stuff.

He's been mentioned a few times in Kurzweil's book. Eric Drexler is an important figure known to have brought nanotechnology into the public light. I'm adding his name today as a bookmark for me to reference later in the future. Consuming his work is, logically, the next step after Kurzweil's. After Drexler, Kevin Warwick. In other news, here is a great short film by Kaleb Lechowski. If you think like me, you'll get it, then get excited and squeel like a happy little school boy. Click the link here:  R'ha

I'm sitting here in my car wondering what the current state of my reality is. Everything that has happened in the past couple of months just feels so surreal. I like where I am headed. I'm being honest when I say that. I like what I am doing and my potential for achieving things. I'm pushing myself further and in the process I'm doing good things and meeting good people. I'm on an elevator. Its only got one direction. Up.

As you can probably already tell from my previous posts, I like thinking about the future. Thinking is an understatement. Dreaming is a better suited word for it - maybe. But Futurism is definitely my philosophy. We have so much technological progress to look forward to in the coming years. For example, Google experiments like Project Glass, Android powered location based services, and self driving cars are some innovations that will enhance our lifestyle when we feel ready for it. Luddittes beware. The future is fast approaching. I quote Graffito when I say, "time is nature's way of preventing everything from happening at once." That's fine. I just want to live long enough to see that everything does actually happen. Whatever it is, I have a feeling it's gonna be great.

So, I had a quick chat with Mike S from work about technology and science. He gave me a few notable people to look at. Their names were Al-Khwarizmi (mathemetician, supposedly father of the algorithm), Al-Jazari (father of robotics), and King Cyrus. Mike S is Persian, as he briefed me on his knowledge of Iranian history and their contributions to modern day society his eyes glittered like jewels in the cosmos. He's a very capable man, humbled, and docile. Good man.

Took Mark out for a couple of errands, I felt obliged after I arrived late to pick him up in the morning for church. We played FIFA 2013. I got a primer course on the rules and formations of football aka soccer. That was fun. I then went to St. Patrick's for church at 5 pm. I liked it. A lot. So much I'm going back next week.

Had some hotpot today. Pretty good eats. Gloria hates hot pot due to previous, multiple food poisonings but I like it for the social aspect. Before dinner, we watched Blade Runner - directed by Ridley Scott. Good movie. It's basically a precautionary tale of futuristic, intelligent android and their place with humans on earth. There was a small ad in the movie that caught my eye - a commercial about space exploration in an off-world colony. Interesting. If this were to ever happen in our timeline us humans should build highly advanced spaceships, and they should look something like state of the art stealth bombers.

I hung out with Mark. Dude has got issues; which I call him out on all the time. He tends to agree. I told him he needs to sort himself out before he can help sort out others. I repaired a friendship at work today. We talked about his brilliance and laziness. Then we shook hands in mutual agreement and parted ways. Things will always be awkward between me and him, but now, less so.

It's nice to be around the company of decent, intelligent people. Conversation just seems to flow effortlessly. I told Anne about the book I'm reading and how it predicts the future of AI and the new spiritual machines. It scared her just a little. It was so cold out today. When I got home I tried to make a fist and it felt like my skin cracked at the knuckles. It hurt. Off topic, have you ever heard of the Unity cable project? It's a submarine fibre optic cable approximately 10,000 km in length linking Japan and the United States' telecommunications and internet services. It was a pretty big project. But how about making it bigger and linking the entire globe with one giant cable (the size of a subway tunnel) across the equator? That would be neat.

Today, I went back to work. First day after a five week holiday. I don't regret how I spent my five weeks off. It was good. Lots of self reflection and getting back in touch with friends. So, we went ahead and visited mom for a few minutes, then I took my very first piano lesson. My aunt is teaching me and I am looking forward to every lesson. In other news, some people are just plain childish. And there is no point in being angry over a child. They don't know any better.