Saturday, October 22, 2011

Robots, Dishwashers, & Questions

Not much going on today. Just got back from the car doctor. They didn't have the needed parts when I was there last week so had to saunter on back their this morning. Now I am waiting for the Oregon-Colorado football game. That leaves a window to post an entry..

Let's start out with a good news type of article:

http://gma.yahoo.com/robots-help-children-autism-185948231.html

Did you ever read an article and have the reaction, "crap I've been doing that wrong for years"? I've been putting knifes in the dishwasher for years.:

http://www.stylelist.com/stacey-platt-and-sarah-hayon/what-not-to-put-in-a-dishwasher_b_1023726.html?icid=maing-grid10%7Chtmlws-main-nb%7Cdl15%7Csec3_lnk1%7C106304

Speaking of doing things wrong, I often ask people how their health is. Oops:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/keli-goff/the-5-questions-we-all-as_b_1016948.html?icid=maing-grid10%7Chtmlws-sb-nb%7Cdl11%7Csec3_lnk2%7C105470

Comment Away.

6 comments:

Pat said...

I saw Bandit on tv or in another article, I can't remember which. Apparently there's some controversy about it, but my feeling is that if it helps autistic kids connect, even just with a robot, it's a good thing. In the other story I saw, there was another robot for the elderly and the sick, which was a fuzzy and cuddly one. If I remember correctly, it was a penguin, but not sure about that.

My dishwasher hasn't worked for 20 years, so the advice is useless to me. Not that I paid any attention to such things back when I had a working one.

All those questions seem to me very good ones NOT to ask. In fact, a recent pet peeve of mine is the ever-present "How are you?" following any greeting from anyone at all, including people you don't really know. My stock answer is "Fine", sometimes followed by "Thanks, and you?" but usually not. They don't really care and I don't really care about them. Sometimes I'm really not fine, but I'm certainly not going to tell some semi-stranger anything about my problems. Sometimes I think I should give them the long version just to shut them up, but it probably wouldn't and I'd be in for a long and unwelcome conversation. I wish we could all agree on "Glad to see you" or some substitute for "How are you?" or its substitutes as standard greetings.

Particularly galling is the overly concerned person. Years ago, I worked sporadically with a guy who would always ask "How ARE you?" in the most concerned tone he could muster, combined with his version of a concerned look. I never got that, as I was young and perfectly healthy at the time and the impression he gave was that he thought he was talking to somebody terminal. Weird.

Lady DR said...

I like the potential for the robot, both for the autistic and for the elderly, Alzheimer's patients and such. I hope the research continues to get positive results.

Like Pat, I've not had a dishwasher in years and I really can't say I miss it, although Himself does (g). There just aren't that many dishes to wash for the two of us. I hadn't known about knives, although I did know about china and the like.

I'm often asked how I'm doing, by those who know about the hip issue and the old shoulder issue. I tend to not ask, usually saying "You're looking good, hope you're feeling well," adding the last if I know there's been a health issue. However, this is with folks I know pretty well. The other questions are Not Acceptable. I spent years dealing with the "Are you married yet?" or versions of same. Questions about financial issues of any sort are not acceptable from any source, including family, unless there's a darned good reason for asking.

William J. said...

Hi Pat

I am with you if the robot helps kids connect or even teaches them to connect it is a good thing. I would love to see the story about the elderly.

I don't know how you can exist without a dishwasher. It is darn hard work to wash dishes by hand.

If the person that is acting overly concerned isn't really a friend then it bothers me to no end. I've gotten used to people asking me how I am so I usually just respond "and you". The one that I used to hate was "have a nice day" and I used to answer "I'm sorry but I have other plans" but that phrase seems to have bitten the dust.

Bill

William J. said...

Hi DR

I'm with you on the robot. Lots of potential for good things.

I'm really kind of shocked that neither you or Pat have a dishwasher. I'd be with Himself, I'd miss it too.

I ask really good friends but not strangers about their health and if they seem put off I just don't ask them again. Most of the questions mentioned I don't ask. I do ask about the marital status but never use the word "yet". Financial questions are off base except if they are clients asking my advise.

Bill

Pat said...

It's easy to exist without a dishwasher if you keep a dishpan going and only have dishes for one meal a day for one person, plus a couple of glasses. By the time I filled a dishwasher, I wouldn't have any dishes left to use.

As to the person acting overly concerned, he was sort of a work friend, and it wasn't that he asked, it was that he asked in a tone of voice that implied he knew I was very sick and would probably die soon. Totally inappropriate, I thought, and very annoying.

"Have a nice day" has, alas, not disappeared from my neck of the woods.

William J. said...

Hi Pat

Still seems like a lot of work for me but I admit to using paper plates and cups so I don't dirty the dishes because it does take a while to fill the dishwasher and leaves me with few dishes left.

Wow I hope "Have a nice day" doesn't return here!

Bill