the iMentor

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This weB-LOG is about the musing of a technical consultant. It is the iMentor's thoughts on technology and the human condition.

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Author: Rick Thues

Skydiving road trip – part 4

July 26, 2023 Uncategorized 5 Comments
Episode #756 July 29, 2023 The fourth part of a 6 part series, 2023 skydiving road trip.     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wxcWLgOfNA In Part 3 of this travelogue Paula and I have just parachuted into West Virginia Skydivers. While we are flying over the Ohio River, Paula’s sister Gail is driving 10 hours from Poughkeepsie, New York to meet up with us this evening in our RV. It is grand chatting and visiting with Gail. We put her up in the overhead bed. When she closes the curtain we hear her exclaim, "This is so nice. I have my own little room."...
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Skydiving road trip – part 3

July 19, 2023 Uncategorized 7 Comments
Episode #755 July 22, 2023 The third part of a 6 part series, 2023 skydiving road trip.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2fgwsOH5p8 Part 2 of this travelogue ended with Paula and I jumping from Mike Mullins Super King Air this Saturday morning. After jumping in Tennessee, our next state on the road trip is Alabama. Skydive Alabama is also a weekend only drop zone so we drive the 3 hours this Saturday afternoon so we can jump in Alabama tomorrow, Sunday. When we arrive at the clubhouse the owner asks: “Do you like tacos?”  “We are from Southern California. Of course we like...
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Skydiving road trip – part 2

July 12, 2023 Uncategorized 4 Comments
Episode #754 July 15, 2023 The second part of a 6 part series, 2023 skydiving road trip.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcXpKiY2MXE Part 1 of this travelogue ended with Paula and I visiting the Omaha Nebraska Zoo. After the zoo we drive to Topeka, Kansas. I find a nice wooded campsite on Lake Shawnee. It is an easy drive to Topeka where we will see the sights tomorrow. We awake to a beautiful clear sky, morning sun filtering through the canopy of trees. The urban city does not interest us, so we visit a prairie town which has been cobbled together by the...
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Skydiving road trip – part 1

July 3, 2023 Uncategorized 6 Comments
Episode #753 July 8, 2023 The first part of a 6 part series, 2023 skydiving road trip.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgBHRYtt-Y4   The first two days were long, monotonous and weary drives, which were wrapped in fluorescent yellow Palo Verde, cave dwelled cliffs, vast plains strewn with volcanic rock, Tonto's Saguaro forest, pole pine covered mountains and a 14 mile long lake at sunset, all domed in a big sky floating with infinitely diverse clouds. We are continuing our trek to skydive in all 50 states. When we began this road trip Paula and I had jumped in 35 states in the...
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Irony of Kindness

June 29, 2023 Uncategorized 2 Comments
Episode #752 July 1, 2023 Thomas walked along Fortune Street swinging his brief case casually. He was clearing his head after a stressful day at the brokerage.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTsB-llTzyc Assessing risk and playing the odds all day long was exhausting, but it paid the bills. The Jacaranda trees which lined the street were in full bloom. The sun filtering through the quietly rustling branches was pleasantly warm as Thomas strolled along the sidewalk’s purple carpet. He could not imagine a better end to a Friday afternoon. The sudden screeching of brakes and a horrible metal on metal impact jolted Thomas...
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Kurzweil

June 23, 2023 Uncategorized 3 Comments
Episode #751 June 24, 2023 Ray Kurzweil developed text to speech technology to help machines communicate with blind humans. In later years Kurzweil helped develop speech to text to help humans communicate with machines.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdYaGt_sm3Q Kurzweil has been an advocate of Moore’s law, which observes that the number of transistors in an integrated circuit doubles every two years. Exponential growth in the amount of computing per dollar is also notable. Kurzweil says: We will achieve one Human Brain capability for $1000 around 2023. We will achieve one Human Brain capability for one cent around 2037. We will achieve one...
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