majorly slacking

Major slacking today. It was not due to malicious intent. Rather, it was due to a total inability to move past my lack of motivation. I think I have exhausted the many possible ways to shift around in an office chair. I even stood up for a while and knelt for a while. At one point, I was overcome with sleep. All told, for the day's effort, I was able to read 17 pages of an almost 400-page document.

But I can tell you that the Popular Science webpage has photos of some robots. One robot can produce human-quality speech thanks to human-like speech mechanisms, one can balance itself although its base is a basketball, one can modify its grip based on feedback sensors of its malleable parts, one can map its surroundings, and one is "learning" to differentiate itself from its surroundings.

I can also tell you that on Gizomodo, you can find out about a bullet-proof, knife-proof rain coat that you can buy, a Tivo2 deal at Best Buy, and Sony's plans to release two high-end cameras.

I can also tell you that there is some model "DB2" antenna that was intended for outdoor use but which you can mount in your attic and it supposedly does a fantastic job. Also: I am within 20 miles of most of my TV signals, that the majority of the signals come from the north and the west side of the house (according to antennaweb.org), and that all roofing materials attenuate the signal, and that a house with aluminum siding may lose the signal altogether. Also, if I were to desire a DVR, I would like one with dual HD tuners.

I can also tell you a little bit about portable fire extinguishers, about the A, B, C, D and K types. I can tell you that the dry chemical extinguishers have a corrosive effect on metal, that the D type is for metal on fire, that the K type is for kitchen fires, and that there are also extinguishers with "clean agent."

But none of this, you see, has anything to do with my job.

So after slouching all day, I dumped the almost-400-page document onto a thumbdrive and took it home. Maybe I'll read a few more pages tonight.
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I am into the 5th month of my employment now, and I'm still not connecting with any of my co-workers. (sigh)